Marc Jacobs Daisy for Christmas

Perfume Gift Ideas

Marc Jacobs Daisy Perfume

Marc Jacobs Daisy

As I get older I always say to family & friends “let’s not do gifts this year, let’s just get together and enjoy a meal and a few drinks”. I especially love Christmas for giving us so many excuses to spend time together, and it makes me so grateful for all the amazing people I have in my life. That being said, it is nice to have something under the tree to open on Christmas morning, even if it just one lovely gift, and my husband always gets the most thoughtful presents for me. I like to ask for something special, something I don’t often buy myself, and for me that is perfume.

Marc Jacobs Daisy Fragrance

A fragrance for me is such a treat, and that’s what makes it the perfect gift to both give and receive. There are so many incredible scents, and this year I wanted to add back to my collection a scent that I used to wear a lot a few years ago. We all have that one perfume which never gets old, and that for me is Marc Jacobs Daisy. It is such an iconic scent and the bottle is instantly recognisable with the cap adorned with pretty daisies, I haven’t owned it for so long, but I’m thrilled to have it.

It is a beautiful, timeless fragrance and one that can be worn by all ages. It is such a mix of fruity, floral and fresh notes that it never smells overpowering or too intense. It reminds me of so many happy moments, birthdays, holidays and getting my job at RBS. It has been a favourite of mine for so long, and it was my Mum that first introduced me to it, and she still wears it too, so we have the same great taste in perfume.

Perfume Gift Ideas

Top notes of wild berries and soft white violets

Heart notes of velvety jasmine

Base notes of sandalwood

Marc Jacobs Christmas Gift Ideas

What perfume would you love to receive this Christmas? Do you have your heart set on a new release or a classic, iconic scent?

Marc Jacobs Daisy

*this post was sponsored by Fragrance Direct, but all the views are 100% my own

Merumaya Gift With Purchase for 5th Birthday

Merumaya GWP Birthday

One of my favourite British skincare brands Merumaya are celebrating their 5th Birthday with a bang & offering customers the most fantastic gift with purchase worth over £56. So between 13th – 19th October, when you spend £25 you will get this 6 piece GWP FREE!

Merumaya 5th Birthday Free Gift

I have been using Merumaya skincare since it launched and I’m so pleased to see the brand go from strength to strength. Their skincare helps you feel beautiful, uplifts confidence and boosts youthful radiance. I love that Maleka (the founder of Merumaya) & her brand have such a positive message and over the years with their #beautyhasnoage hashtag have built a fantastic, supportive community spreading a positive, inclusive message.

  • FULL-SIZE Mud Marvels Mask Deluxe travel size
  • Youth Preservation Moisturiser SPF 20 
  • Deluxe travel size Melting Cleansing Balm 
  • #beautyhasnoage makeup bag 
  • Daily Cleansing Cloth value
  • Everything Everywhere Beauty Oil 3ml

Merumaya Mud Marvels Mask

Merumaya GWP 2017

This Birthday GWP includes many of Merumayas best selling products, including the first product I ever tried 4 years ago, the Melting Cleansing Balm which is a gentle balm cleanser that will remove your makeup with ease and leave your skin looking radiant and feeling plump.

If you’re new to Merumaya this GWP offers a great selection of products for you to try and get a feel for the brand and if you are already a fan it offers a lovely range of products to help you refresh your skincare for the colder months.

Merumaya skincare is one of the most effective and affordable brands I have tried and I wish them a very happy 5th birthday.

Get your Merumaya 5th Birthday GWP here

QVC TSV SHAY & BLUE 4 PIECE COLLECTION

Shay Blue QVC TSV

Shay & Blue Fragrance

I have a very exciting QVC TSV from London based perfume house Shay & Blue. They will be launching a 4 piece fragrance collection for one day only on Wednesday 11th October. This collection will feature not only their best selling fragrance but you will also get the opportunity to try their newest scent that will isn’t available anywhere else until 2018!

Shay and Blue QVC TSV

Shay & Blue Perfume

This unique collection is made up of

1x 100ml Eau de Parfum Spray in Atropa Belladonna

1x 10ml Eau de Parfum Spray in Black Tulip

1x 200ml Body & Hand Wash in Atropa Belladonna

1x 200ml Body & Hand Lotion in Atropa Belladonna

So the deal includes Atropa Belladonna which is Shay & Blue’s best-selling fragrance and is an intoxicating beauty of cassis berries, jasmine, white narcissus and patchouli.

The other scent in the collection is Black Tulip which is new for 2018 so you’re getting the opportunity to experience a fragrance that has not even been smelt yet by the beauty editors of the major magazines. This latest fragrance is a beautiful floral gourmand of snowdrops, cyclamen, rich black tulip, juicy plum and smooth white chocolate. It’s very much a modern floral scent with lovely fresh, sweet notes.

If purchased individually these 4 products would cost £112 but QVC are giving its customers a chance to purchase it for, under £50, that’s a saving of over £60. Just remember this is a TSV offer so will be available for one day only!

SAVE OVER £60
Collection value: worth over £112
QVC special price: under £50

Shay & Blue Launches on QVC

Shay & Blue QVC Bundle

Shay & Blue brand debut on qvc

This Post contains PR Samples

Great Vegan Places To Eat In Amsterdam

vegan junk food bar amsterdam review

I have visited Amsterdam quite a few times over the years & I have to say that it is one of the best Cities for Vegan options. They have so many fantastic Vegan-friendly restaurants & more are opening every month. It makes me so excited and when I visit I go armed with a list of places I really want to try. So I thought I would share a few of my favourite Vegan-friendly places to eat in Amsterdam,

Vegan Junk Food Bar

Vegan Junk Food Bar Amsterdam Review

OK – now where do I start with this one?! My husband & I both 100% agree that this is the best burger we have ever tried Vegan or otherwise. We visited the original burger bar on Staringplein 22 but I’ve read online that they have opened a second location just last month, which is so exciting. We visited at 6 pm on a weekday & it was packed inside & out – it seems we were not the only people who had heard how incredible the food is! We had a short wait for a table but people are super friendly and we ended up sitting with another couple which was nice.

Vegan Junk Food Bar Amsterdam

We both ordered the original burger & chips and omfg they were utterly delicious! I really liked the spring & fried onion mix which added such a crunch to the burgers. We didn’t have time to visit again but I am dreaming of the day I can return and eat their burgers every day.

Cold Press Juicery

Now this is a pricey, trendy juice bar & they also sell smoothies, bowls, soups and wraps but it’s all really fresh and super healthy. We felt a little under the weather one day so in a bid to keep the sickness at bay we had an expensive juice each.

The Cold Press Juicery

healthy cold press juicery

Dutch Weed Burger

dutch weed burger amsterdam

I was a little sceptical about eating here & I have to admit that I initially thought it was a marijuana burger cafe – well it is in Amsterdam after all but my husband assured me it was referring to seaweed, not drugs! I am pleased he talked me into going as the food here is amazing and 100% plant-based.

We ordered their famous weed burger & some wish & chips. The burger comes in a bright green bun due to the superfood chlorella (microalgae packed with nutritious proteins and Omega acids) & the burger patty is made of briny soy shreds and Royal Kombu, a tasty and healthy winter weed, sustainably cultivated in the Dutch region of Zeeland

The wish & chips are deep-fried, crunchy golden green bites with a salty sea flavour. They’re made of beans and microalgae: green protein power! It was well worth hunting down the restaurant (as it is tucked away up a side street, although it is quite close to the Foodhallen). We ate an early dinner which meant we had the restaurant to ourselves & our food was cooked fresh to order.

I didn’t have room for them (sad times) but I did notice they had a selection Vegan doughnuts and cakes, I should have bought one to have back at the hotel.

Dutch Weed Burger Amsterdam

Vegabond Vegan Cafe

Vegabond Vegan Cafe Amsterdam

This is a 100% Vegan Cafe & Shop. The menu is small but they offer a good selection of breakfast & lunch options & some amazing sweet treats. The cafe doesn’t have that many seats but it is worth waiting if it is full. The service is quite slow so I wouldn’t recommend if you’re in a hurry but the prices are very reasonable considering everything is made fresh.

We really wanted to try their famous Vegan doughnuts but they sold out each time before we got there. So we visited twice once for breakfast & I had the Green Smoothie bowl and a fresh Ginger Tea. The smoothie bowl was delicious, the portion size was really big and topped with a really nice selection of fruit, goji berries, coconut and muesli.

Green Smoothie Bowl Vegabond Amsterdam

The second time we only popped in for a sweet treat & after being disappointed that the doughnuts had sold out, we opted for a carrot cake & a raw snickers bar. Both were very rich & we struggled to finish but they were tasty but I am still craving a doughnut. We also bought quite a few snacks from the shop to have in the room.

Cake Vegabond Cafe Amsterdam

Mastino Pizza

mastino pizza Amsterdam

vegan pizza mastino amsterdam

This was my husband’s suggestion, he loves pizza and has been on the hunt for the best Vegan pizza for a long time now. He had heard very good things about Mastino Pizza so we arrived as it opened at 4.30pm and managed to bag the last table. The restaurant is very small but has a great atmosphere, it has a nice & familiar neighbourhood vibe to it.

Being used to such limited Vegan options at most pizza restaurants (usually no cheese) we felt quite spoilt for choice as they had 5 options. We both went for the Full Moon & a refreshing Fritz Cola (my absolute fave fizzy drink). You can see your pizza being made which made our mouths water with anticipation.

The toppings were very generous and the Vegan cheese was one of the best dairy-free mozzarellas I have tried. The pizza was huge & I couldn’t manage it all, so took the rest back to the hotel to have as a midnight snack & it was just as tasty cold.

If you love Pizza then this has to be on your hit list – even non-vegans as they cater for all dietary requirements & it is just a delightful, friendly place to eat.

Amsterdam Vegan Pizza from Mastino

SLA Organic Salad Bar

This is a lovely salad bar and within the last few years they’ve opened up in quite a few locations all over Amsterdam, we were lucky enough to have one next door to our hotel. SLA only take credit or debit cards, so you can’t pay with cash. This seems to be a recurring theme in a lot of eateries in Amsterdam now.

The menu it SLA is pretty good for Vegans & they are very accommodating if you want to add an ingredient or take something out. Everything is seasonal, organic, fresh and healthy. The decor inside their cafes is really nice & covered in plants & greenery. Their salad bowls are very big & we often get the Vegan Nourish Bowl to share along with a side of falafels & that is more than enough food for 2. Their turmeric tea is delicious too.

SLA Vegan Salad

Bagels & Beans

This is a chain and there are so many locations dotted about Amsterdam. You’ve probably guessed it from the name but they are a bagel cafe, however, they also have salads on the menu too. We have eaten here so many times over the years and always get the same thing – Gluten Free Bagel with Hummus & Sundried Tomatoes & it is so fresh and filling, especially on a cold day. This time, however, I was excited to see that they’d added a Vegan Pecan Pie to the menu. So of course, I had to try it and it didn’t disappoint, it was delicious, not too sweet.

Vegan Option Bagels Beans Amsterdam

BAGELS AND BEANS SOYA LATTE

Vegan Pecan Pie Bagels Beans-Amsterdam

So if you’re visiting Amsterdam anytime soon let me know if you visit any of my suggestions and do leave me a comment with any recommendations for places I should try on my next trip.

Make sure you check out more of my Vegan recomendations here