Exploring St Ives Cornwall 2018

July 27, 2018April 1, 2026 - Vicki Leave a comment

We are lucky enough to only live an hours drive from St Ives and love to pop over for a day trip – although we 100% don’t visit enough. So we thought with the Summer holiday’s looming (St Ives gets so busy over the Summer) we’d go for a whilst it was still quite quiet. We picked a glorious day, although I do still enjoy St Ives when it’s overcast it feels super romantic on days like those and it gives you an excuse to hide from the rain and explore all the galleries and coffee shops.

We park at the top of the hill opposite the St Ives Brewery, it isn’t the cheapest parking but it is easy to find and the view across the bay is stunning. The walk down is quite steep but easier on the way down and it brings you right into the centre. If you have trouble with inclines you can get on the car park bus for a small fee.

I have shared photos of my previous visits on my blog and I never grow tired of taking photos and wandering through all the beautiful back streets that are lined with tiny whitewashed cottages. I also really like how people decorate their fronts with pretty flowers & plants, it reminds me of Amsterdam.

Fore Street, which is the main shopping street is always busy but I do like having a peek into all the shops and the smell of the bakeries (Cornish pasty) always tempts me in. This time we arrived at lunchtime and couldn’t resist a Wholemeal Vegan Pasty from The St Ives Bakery – which was just heaven, you need to try it if you visit St Ives.

Then we just enjoyed the sunshine and explored all the little side streets snapping photos along the way. There are so many cafes and places to grab Ice Cream so if you need to take a break you can. We always stop at The Pier Coffee Bar for a cuppa, it is right by the harbour but tucked away enough that you can always get a seat.

Now our main reason for visiting St Ives this time was so we could eat at Blas Burgerworks which is located in the Warren. I have walked past it so many times but we tend to be in St Ives too early as it only opens at 5 pm. On this occasion, we were there later & ready for burgers. They have so many Vegan options available which made me so excited so I opted for the Blackbean Burger & my husband picked the Sunflower Burger.

The decor is very basic and you mostly have to share a table as it is small and gets very busy. Even at 5.30, we were lucky to get a seat. Now on to the burgers, well let me just say that I was so disappointed. I wanted to love it but both of us elt our burgers just were not up to scratch. They came beautifully presented and the chips, OMG the ships were so yummy but the actual burgers turned into a soft paste, they lost all structure and you had to admit defeat and eat them with a knife and fork and I don’t know if you feel the same but I think burgers are meant to be eaten with your hands!

The burger was unrecognisable as a burger and was so soft that I felt I’d been robbed of my burger experience. I have had Vegan Burgers that didn’t have great structure but these took it to a new level. I am sad to say we won’t be going back. Let me know if you have been & tried the Vegan Burgers and if you had the same experience. I told our server that they were a little too moist but she just said Thank You like I’d given her a compliment?!

If you have any recommendations of things to see or do in St Ives leave me a comment & I am always looking for suggestions of places to eat!

Design.Me Haircare Products

July 25, 2018 - Vicki 2 Comments

OK so there is a fun new haircare brand in town & it gets the prize for the most adorable, instagramable packaging, ever! It’s fun, simple and pastel coloured – I love it! Design.Me hail from North America and are an innovative, ahead of the curve brand who want to protect, enhance and keep your locks looking fabulous. I’ve been trying out a few products from their collection and they’ve become my goto Summer styling products. I’m pretty impressed by these pastel packaged hair treats! The range consists of 4 cult products:

PowerDRY.ME – a unique technology product to reduce blow dry time by up to 50%.
Fab.ME – the mother of all hair treatments, with four defence formula that will give you your youthful, fabulous hair back in a matter of seconds!
Puff.ME – The FIRST EVER super-volumising powder spray in a pump to pep up medium to thick hair to give you the instant volume you’ve always dreamed of.
Puff.ME Light – A lighter version of Puff.ME, this super-volumising powder spray is perfect for fine to medium hair.

DESIGN.ME products give hair sheen, oomph, volume, and styling speed. Plus, these high-quality products are vegan, cruelty-free and contain not one single drop of harmful sulfates, parabens or gluten.

FAB.ME

I have such a quick hair care routine and the fewer products I need to use each day the better. I like to keep it simple and this Fab.Me Hair Mist is described as ‘The mother of all hair treatments’ and it really is! It has so many wonderful benefits from hydrating to detangling and even protecting against heat damage caused by styling.

You lightly mist it on to clean, damp hair and it works its magic, giving you shine, preventing split ends and leaves your hair feeling manageable and silky smooth. It is such a great multi-benefit product and one that fits right into my haircare routine. I love a product that has more than one benefit and this styling mist has a whopping 18 benefits – as well as smelling amazing and looking super cute. It ticks all the boxes for me and I have been using it a lot over the Summer to lock in moisture and reduce frizz & static (so no flyaways here!)

KEY BENEFITS
Detangles & hydrates
Colour fade protection
Frizz control
Shine and lustre

PUFF.ME Light

How adorable is this little pink and white bottle?! Well, let’s just start by saying it looks cute but the packaging was a nightmare for me – this is a powder and for some reason when I took the lid off so much of it puffed out all over the place. I wouldn’t travel with this and I would say not to put the lid back on.

This product is to give your roots volume and texture and it does that in abundance. I have to say I wasn’t 100% blown away with this and it left my hair feeling weird and the powder wasn’t translucent in my hair. When I used it I 100% had to wash my hair the next day otherwise my hair felt like straw. I think I prefer to use a standard dry shampoo to achieve the same results, this product is great in theory but needs a little more tweaking.

KEY BENEFITS
Instant volume
Odour and mess free
Made for fine to medium hair
Perfect texture for updo’s & braids

Powerdry.ME

Say hello to my new best friend – as most of you know in the UK we have had some of the hottest weather we’ve seen in a LONG time and the last thing anyone wants to be doing in this heat is spending ages blow drying our hair (and melting in the process). So this Powerdry.Me mist has halved the time It takes me to dry my hair. This mist is wonderful if like me you have thick, unruly hair, it speeds up drying times by up to 50% and it also leaves your hair sleek, protects from damaging heat and UV. So it’s the ideal product to add to your hair care routine this Summer. I am singing its praises and have been recommending it to anyone that will listen.

KEY BENEFITS
Decreases your blowdrying time by 50%!
Frizz control
Heat and UV Protection
Smooth & conditions hair

Design.Me Styling Products

The Design.ME hair styling range is now available in Sally Beauty stores nationwide and online at www.sallybeauty.co.uk

*This post contains PR Samples

Antipodes Evening Skincare Review

July 23, 2018 - Vicki Leave a comment

Although I’d never tried anything from this brand, I had heard of Antipodes Skincare and read so many positive reviews about the quality of their products and the ingredients they use. So I was so excited to finally try 2 products from their evening skincare range and not to let the cat out of the bag right away but I this duo has really given my skin its glow back!

Antipodes are a brand that is very focused on the environment and harnessing the power of organic plants and natural ingredients. The entire product range which hails from New Zealand uses sustainably sourced, fresh ingredients and combines these with extensive scientific research to create effective results orientated skincare. Let me know if you have tried & loved any other products from their range and I will add them to my basket!

Antipodes Avocado Pear Nourishing Night Cream

I think this night cream might just be the answer to plump, hydrated, blemish-free skin. It works wonders whilst you’re sleeping and I think that when used after the Joyous Serum you have the perfect duo not only for combating the signs of ageing but for boosting your skins natural healthy glow! I can’t believe it has taken me this long to discover the benefits of Antipodes skincare.

If you have dull, dry, mature skin then this rich cream is going to fit well into your routine. This Avocado Pear cream has a thick texture and a distinctive bold scent (ylang-ylang, jasmine and sandalwood). It isn’t greasy but the cream is very rich and has a slight oiliness to it which will help replenish dehydrated skin.

• Avocado oil – is high in antioxidants, works as a natural sun filter and gives a super-hydrating boost for your skin.
• Manuka honey – helps to promote youthful, fresh, blemish-free skin & is antibacterial too.
• Vinanza® Grape extract – This is a revolutionary antioxidant extract from sauvignon blanc grape seeds grown on Marlborough vineyards, scientists have identified as having double the levels of polyphenolic antioxidants, helps neutralise free-radical damage.

The ingredients list is pretty impressive:-

Ingredients: shea butter vegetable extract avocado oil Active 20+ manuka honey macadamia nut oil calendula oil coconut oil vegetable extract Vinanza Grape® grapeseed extract Vitamin E Aqua butyrospermum parkii squalane persea gratissima leptospermum mel macadamia ternifolia calendula officinalis cocos nucifera cetearyl olivate sorbitan olivate lecithin gluconolactone sodium benzoate calcium gluconate vitis vinifera tocopherol essential oil fragrances of sandalwood ylang ylang and patchouli

Hydrates and protects skin while you sleep
Scientifically shown* to stimulate synthesis of collagen production in human cells by up to 92 per cent
Suited to most skin conditions, especially mature and dry
Certified vegetarian by the UK Vegetarian Society
Recyclable glass bottle. 100 per cent biodegradable cardboard from sustainable forests

Antipodes Joyous Night Replenishing Serum

This is one serum you are going to want to add to your evening routine, especially if, like me, your skin often looks dull and lacklustre. This oil-based serum has a lovely rich silky texture and a subtle botanical scent it applies like a dream and boy does my skin drink it up. It is absolutely packed full of wonderful premium organic ingredients, no hidden nasties and their packaging is environmentally friendly.

Showcasing some incredible skin-loving ingredients including a trio of superfood oils that will rejuvenate, hydrate and refresh your skin. You can rely on this serum to keep your skin looking incredible night after night! I am in love with it and the results I have already seen in my skin – my skin feels supple, smooth and looks so much more healthy and glowing. This serum has become a staple in my skincare routine.

Himalayan goji berry – protein-rich, containing up to 19 naturally occurring amino acids.
Red raspberry seed & blackcurrant oil – provide a rich natural source of essential fatty acids to hydrate
Hibiscus flower helps exfoliate and freshen your complexion.

The ingredients list again is impressive:-

Blackcurrant Oil, Goji Berry Extract, Raspberry Seed Oil, Hibiscus Flower Extract, Reishi Mushroom Extract, Ribes Nigrum, Lycium Barbarum, Rubus Idaeus, Hibiscus Sabdarifa, Gandoderma Lucidum, Essential Oil Fragrances Of Blackcurrant, D-Limonene*, Geraniol*, Linalool*, Citronellal*.

Helps repair damaged and ultra-dry skin
Help improve skin elasticity and suppleness
Suited to normal, dry and mature skin conditions
Certified vegetarian by the UK Vegetarian Society
Recyclable glass bottle. 100% biodegradable cardboard from sustainable forests

People are becoming more aware of how they impact the environment (I know I am) and we are seeing more brands becoming vegan, sustainable and organic. I think It is such a positive step & Antipodes are a world leader in this, with over 10 years experience.

Antipodes is one of the few fully certified organic skincare producers in the world, making them a green beauty brand you can genuinely trust.

CND Vinylux Boho Spirit 2018 Collection

July 18, 2018July 18, 2018 - Vicki 2 Comments

In case you’re not familiar with this brand, CND VINYLUX Weekly Polish is a unique two-part system, a self-adhering Colour Coat with a built-in base coat and a superior Top Coat, which gives you seven-day chip-free wear. I have previously reviewed their Nude Collection which I still love & recently wore to my brother’s wedding.

There are four gorgeous shades in the new Vinylux Boho Spirit Summer Collection. I have three of them to try which is exciting. I’m missing the shade Offbeat which is a gorgeous bright coral pink & I might just have to get my hands on this shade to complete the collection. So this paired down 4 piece Summer collection covers all the bases (well I think so).

Vinylux Gypsy Boho Nail Polish 2018

Offbeat – a bright coral cream

Uninhibited – a rich salmon cream

Vagabond – a pale sandy yellow

Gypsy – a tangerine dream

Gypsy

This is the shade I have been wearing the most. It applies so well and is opaque in one coat but I do like to apply two just so the colour is more intense and rich. Orange is one of my favourite shades for Summer and I love how well this polish lasts on both my fingers & toes. It’s a WOW shade for sure and one I know will see me through the Summer.

NEW Vinylux long wear nail polish

Uninhibited

This salmon pinky peach shade gives you a lovely light wash of colour. It looks stunning on both fingers and toes and its subtle colour looks so sophisticated and is the perfect everyday Summer shade. It is a pretty creme finish.

Vagabond

I wasn’t at all excited about this shade at first and thought it looked a little flat, dull in the bottle but I just love it on my toes. It’s not a bold yellow but a creme pale sandy yellow and it isn’t a WOW shade but it is very much a pretty shade. Again it’s perfect if you have a tan and is an easy colour to wear.

CND Vinylux long-wear polishes promises,

7-day, chip-resistant wear

Fast-drying,

Simple two-step application

Features a built-in Base Coat

Superior shine

The Vinylux Weekly polish Top Coat is incredible, it gives a high shine finish and the quality looks as good as a professional nail salon but best of all my nail polish lasted chip-free for almost the 7 days. This is no mean feat as I work with my hands crafting & they usually get scuffed so easily, but this topcoat meant my manicure remained intact with no unsightly chips for 6 solid days. I was very, very impressed. The high shine finish didn’t dull either. This topcoat is a serious winner and I am going to use it on top of all my manicures from now on. Vinylux Summer Boho Spirit Collection

So if you’re looking for that perfect polish so you can wear all the Summer sandals then I highly recommend checking out this Boho Spirit Collection from CND Vinylux & let me know if you get your hands on the pink (Offbeat) shade – I think this would look gorgeous with a sunkissed tan.

Vinylux™ – weekly, chip-resistant wear, fast-drying, two-step application, brilliant shine which lasts without the need for a base coat. Increased durability with natural light.

Let's talk beauty

Unbiased beauty product reviews & tips