Vegan Cuts June Snack Box Review

A good month or so ago (I've been super busy!), I was luckily enough to be emailed by Vegan Cuts and asked to review one of their snack boxes*. If you haven't already heard of Vegan Cuts, they are a company that provide monthly subscription boxes filled with amazing vegan snacks, or beauty products, depending on your preference. I filmed a ingredients review of their August 2014 beauty box last year - which you can see here - so I was super excited to receive some lovely new products from them. Especially considering that this time they were edible...

Unfortunately, after receiving the box, I almost completely forgot that I was meant to be doing a review. I was sure to take a picture immediately after it arrived, but I then proceeded to eat most of the snacks without making note of what they were or how I liked them. Wow Katie, super blogger skills. That's a compliment on their part though, right?

One thing I did notice about the snack box - in comparison to alternative vegan snack boxes - is that it was literally filled to the brim. You can see from the picture that the box was bursting with delicious vegan snacks which makes it extremely good value for money. In the US, a single snack box is just under $20 including delivery which is pretty much on point. I will note however that outside of the US, the value is not so good. A UK customer can expect to pay around $35 (£22) including shipping which is bummer considering that a lot of the products aren't available in the UK when you want to restock. In spite of this, let's get on to how delicious the snacks were! Here are the three highlights:

Yum Earth Organics Sour Jelly Beans

These were super yummy and especially satisfying seeing so I've been seriously craving jelly beans over the last few weeks. Most main market jelly beans contain beeswax, but of course these are 100% vegan. My only complaint is that the packet they came in was WAY too small. Still craving those jelly beans. :-(

Home Free Chocolate Chip Cookies

Again, these satisfied a craving that I've been suffering with for a while. I'm not even a huge fan of chocolate cookies but these were really nice. They were a cute small bitesize which was perfect for a quick sweet snack at the work desk. However I'm not finding that I'm missing these as much as I just found out that I can eat Fox's dark chocolate cookies (amazing).

SuperEats Kale + Chia Chips, Chilli & Lime

These may have been bright green and not the most appetising looking things, but they were definitely yummy. They have the perfect amount of spice which is cleverly offset by the sourness of the lime. These were incredibly moreish and I zoomed through the packet in about ten seconds. If I could source just one of these products in the UK, it would be these. Or maybe the jelly beans. Or maybe these. Hm. 

Find out more about Vegan Cuts here. Have you tried one of their boxes?

Supplements and Stuff

Ever since I was sent some wonderful products by Viridian (more on the other bits later), I've been wanting to do a post on supplementation, or more specifically, my optimal supplementation routine (when I'm being good and remembering). If you saw my beauty goals post, you would remember that in 2015, I wanted to get better at taking my supplements. Well, we're not quite there yet, but I thought that making another supplement-centric post might help me on my journey. My supplement 'collection' if you will is split in to three categories which I feel, are most important for my own specific needs. Remember, I'm not a doctor and this is what works for me. It might not necessary work for anyone else. We have the 'general' supplement, the skin-doctor, and the bone-helper. 

Now, before we begin, I would like to point out that I am very much an advocate of getting your vital bits and pieces from food & water intake alone. However, sometimes this is not possible e.g. illness, travel, three-day Netflix marathon. These are the times when I refer back to a good general supplement that just ensures that I can get through the days without falling asleep or getting ill. I know, it sounds bad but the truth is, you really can't get all your nutrients from beans on toast. At the minute I'm using the Garden of Life Vitamin Code Raw One for Women. Three things drew me to this brand: it's completely raw, made from vegan food sources; you only have to take one a day; and you don't have to keep them in the fridge. Really, they're perfect for when you're feeling especially lazy. Price-wise they're not too bad either and I picked up this sizeable 75-capsule container for around £25 off Amazon. They do smell a little funky, but you really can't beat raw food supplements. This brand contains everything that you'll need for the daily grind including at least the rec. daily value of all major vitamins, and lots of lovely minerals such as zinc, iron and selenium.

An additional 'bone-helper' isn't really a must for everyone, but if you're like me and unfortunately still on hormonal birth control (more specifically the depo shot), I would really suggest investing in a good source of calcium. Even more so, if you can sometimes be a particularly lazy vegan like myself. Getting a supplement including the addition of magnesium and zinc would be extra-great as calcium needs these guys to help it be effectively absorbed. I try to take two caplets every single day, and have done so ever since I uncovered some slightly worrying research about the long-term effects of Depo Provera. I won't go in to too much detail, but I am looking to come off of it pretty soon. Personally, I use just a generic H&B own brand supplement and I find that this works pretty well (I hope).

Finally, we have the shining star of this post. The Viridian Clear Skin Complex*. I'd heard a lot about these supplements from fellow bloggers and frankly I was both excited and intrigued when I was given the chance to try them. At first I was definitely skeptical and struggled to see any real difference. But, I really noticed the change when I briefly stopped taking them for a week or so. Unfortunately, I'm still struggling to take them regularly but I feel strongly enough about them that I'm considering purchasing another bottle to really put them to the test with regular dosages. I really like Viridian as a company because all their supplements are available with vegetarian capsules and their packaging is wonderfully eco-friendly. In fact, you can return an empty supplement bottle to any Viridian retailer for recycling and receive a 25p refund. Further to that, every bottle sold helps generate funds for a selection of charities. That really is dedication to the cause! The Clear Skin Complex contains 100% active vegan ingredients that are also gluten-free, salt-free and without added sugar, yeast, preservatives or artificial colourings. The only downside that I can see to these supplements is that they are rather pricey. A 60-capsule bottle to last you roughly a month will set you back around £20. However, I really do feel that they bring results and I'm looking forward to showing you some more of their great products in the future. You can find out more details about their full range on their website.

Vegan Week Overview

Okay so Vegan Week turned out to be a bit of a fail didn't it? Unfortunately I had forgotten to schedule all my posts (bad blogger) and uni was being a bit of a nightmare. But, all in all, three out of seven isn't too bad. Right? Let's look at the posts that I actually did manage to put out this week.

Vegan Book Recs

We started off the week with a look at some vegan book recs, covering both non-fiction and cookbooks. Admittedly, I hadn't actually read a couple of them, but that blunder is being rectified pretty soon. 

My Vegan Skincare Routine

Next, a look at my current all-vegan skincare routine. My routine is always changing, but lately I've been settling in to a regular set up. Take a look at what products I'm currently using in my second post of Vegan Week - ft. lots of lovely favourite brands such as Pai and Andalou Naturals.

Review: Red Apple Vegan Lipstick

And then, we finished the week with a bang. Last in line was my review of a couple lipsticks from well... Red Apple Lipstick. Now this was a rave review if I ever saw one. Long story short, I need more. I NEED more. Red Apple Lipstick has definitely become my go-to brand for high quality vegan lipsticks.

So, that was last week. A couple posts that got left out include a Vegan Food Faves and a FAQ, which I will definitely be posting some time in the near future. Now, if Vegan Week has taught me anything, it's that I really need to use my planner more...

My Natural Vegan Skincare Routine

First of all, let's just ignore this horrendous photo. Long story short, I forgot to take a photo while there was ACTUAL sunlight. So... unnatural lighting. We'll have to deal.

Moving on, today I'm sharing with you, my most recent skincare routine! My routine is always changing, but recently I've been settling in to a certain selection of products - which are all natural, vegan and cruelty-free of course!

AM:

Cleanse Blissoma Mild Rice Facial Cleanser

Tone Primavera Sage & Grapeseed Toner

Treat Herbfarmacy Pure Hydration Serum*

Moisturise Andalou Naturals Untinted BB Cream or Skin & Tonic Calm Balm

PM:

Remove Makeup DIY Cleansing Oil w/ Jojoba and Lavender

Cleanse Blissoma Mild Rice Facial Cleanser

Tone Andalou Naturals Brightening Clementine + C Toner

Treat Yours Truly Organics Fix Me Serum

Moisturise Pai Rosehip Oil or Skin & Tonic Calm Balm 

Okay, so failed photo-taking aside, these are the products that I have been using and loving lately! I'm choosing not to go in to many details today as I'm looking to do full reviews over the coming weeks. Those products that already have corresponding reviews, have been linked accordingly :-) Hope everyone is having a fantastic week, and join me tomorrow for a very special review... ooooooh!

Vegan Book Recs

Welcome to day one of Vegan Week. Today, we're talking book recommendations. Specifically, recommendations of books about veganism! Firstly, I'd just like to mention that although I've named this post 'Vegan Book Recs', I've actually only read two out of these four books. Take that as you will but nethertheless, these are definitely some handy books to consider if you're interested in veganism, and if I haven't read them already, I will fo' sure be reading them soon.

Thanking the Monkey - Karen Dawn

Starting with a book that I haven't yet read, we have Thanking the Monkey from Karen Dawn. From what I can tell, this is a very general overview of the issues of animal cruelty in all forms - not just eating animal products. Taken from Goodreads: 'In Thanking the Monkey, Karen Dawn covers pets, fur, fashion, food, animal testing, activism, and more. But as the title playfully suggests, this isn't like any previous animal rights book. Thanking the Monkey is light on lectures meant to make you feel guilty if you're not yet a leather-eschewing vegan. It lets you have fun as you learn why so many of your favourite actors and musicians won't eat or wear animals. ' I'm actually really excited to read this, and shall be reserving it at the library ASAP (as it's a little expensive to buy, eeek). I would definitely consider this 'animal rights lite' though, and I feel like it will miss out some very important arguments concerning veganism. However, this might be great if you're just getting interested in the lifestyle.

Defiant Daughters: 21 Women on Art, Activism, Animals and the Sexual Politics of Meat - Various

I have actually read this one! Defiant Daughters is an anthology full of some really intriguing essays concerning how many young women discover and connect veganism and feminism. Definitely not one for beginners, but if you have any interest in feminism and/or veganism, it's a really worthwhile read and will open your eyes to how the two movements are so intricately interwoven. I believe that it's actually a follow up anthology to The Sexual Politics of Meat by Carol J. Adams (which I haven't read), but I've found that you really don't need to have read the predecessor to get something out of this collection. I really do recommend this, but please note that this one does contain some sensitive content in relation to sexual violence and animal abuse. (Spoiler: You can actually download this for free via Goodreads!)

Easy Vegan: Simple Recipes for Healthy Eating - Vatcharin Bhumichitr

And on to the cookbooks! Starting with one that I do own myself, Easy Vegan contains lots and lots of delicious and healthy vegan meals, many with a unique Thai twist. The instructions are really clear and easy to follow, and the recipes are supplemented with some of the most gorgeous food photography that I have ever seen! However, I have found that some of the ingredients mentioned are a little hard to get hold of in the UK, leading me to believe that the recipes are ever-so US-inclined. Some of my favourite recipes include the root vegetable ragu and the butternut squash soup with pine nuts.

The Oh She Glows Cookbook - Angela Liddon

Okay, another one that I haven't read but if Angela's blog is anything to go by (which I most definitely have spent many hours browsing), this cook book can only be bloody amazing. It comes highly recommended from a lot of fellow vegans, and it's very high up on my to-buy list.

Two Natural Brands to STOP Using

This post could have been a lot longer. However, I want to focus on the two - what I perceive as - unethical natural brands that I see floating around the most. I regularly see fellow bloggers reviewing/using products by these brands, and it breaks my heart as unknowingly, they are contributing to the perpetuation of barbaric, unneeded animal testing.

As a disclaimer, this is not an attack on said bloggers or brands, I would just like to raise a little awareness.

MELVITA:

• Melvita as a company is Leaping Bunny certified, however the company they are owned by - L’Occitane - is not.
• L’Occitane originally boasted an animal-testing free policy, but they ditched this in favour of making more profit by selling in China, where testing is mandatory. Other companies who ditched being ethical for money, include Yves Rocher & Caudalie.
• Parent companies receive a percentage of the profit that their owned companies make. This means, when you buy a Melvita product, you are indirectly funding L’Occitane’s animal testing.

BURT’S BEES:

• Once again, Burt’s Bees is certified but their owning company, Clorox, is not.
• Clorox claim to test when required by law, e.g. for selling in China.
• In fact, Clorox’s buyout of Burt’s Bees was kept out of the news, as they were wary of the backlash from fans and environmentalists. I.e. they were scared of hurting their image...
• Clorox continue to use barbaric methods such as dropping products in to animal’s eyes and feeding them potentially harmful ingredients, as well as final products. Buying Burt’s Bees’ products, funds Clorox to continue with these methods.
• In addition, Burt’s Bees is what I would consider a ‘green-washed’ brand, as they continue to use ingredients such as lanolin and others that I would NOT consider ‘green’. If you would like more info on green-washed brands, check out this wonderful video from Brianna: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n5mvkO1i1_4.

So there we go. I hope everyone takes these points in to consideration. Once again, as a disclaimer, I am not intending this post as an 'attack' of any kind, just some friendly pointers. Also, the image on this post is totally unrelated :-)

The Best Vegan Beauty of 2014

 

I know, it's late. Nethertheless, I'm finally going to let you all in on my top vegan beauty products of the year 2014. So let's not diddle-daddle, here's the list. In no particular order...

MuLondon White Chocolate Elbow, Knee & Heel Cream

This one is a no-brainer. This product saved my feet during a particularly bad flare up of dermatitis. Unfortunately, we're back to the bad skin days but once again my feet are feeling soothed and smoothed. I've done a full review of this product here.

Skin & Tonic Calm Balm

This is a relatively new discovery, having only made the purchase towards the end of the year. However, this product has quickly shot to the top of my 'holy grails' list and I now use it every single day. Marketed as a multi-use aromatic balm, I actually use this product as a moisturiser. My skin seems to love this particular blend of Shea butter and essential oils. I consistently wake up with skin that seems to have healed magically overnight. Big love for this. Full review soon.

Andalou Naturals Un-tinted BB Cream

This is another product that I talk about all the time, my staple moisturiser/primer for the warmer months. Full review here.

One Love Organics Morning Glory

On to the oils. This is my favourite oil for the daytime. It's a well-loved item among the green beauty community, hailed as a brilliant primer (correct) and an equally as brilliant complexion brightener (correct). Haven't done a review for this one yet, but stay tuned.

Pai BioRegenerate Rosehip Oil

Ah. I would consider this product one of those gateway natural items. It's high quality, not too pricey, and it works true wonders. The first time I used this, I almost fell off my chair. Again, no idea why I haven't done a review for this yet...

Lily Lolo Mineral Foundation

This is definitely up there with my favourite finds of 2014. I've always known that mineral foundations existed, but I always wrote them off as old-fashioned, cakey and drying. Oh boy was I pleasantly surprised by this little gem. You can read my full thoughts here.

RMS Beauty Un-Powder

So, there isn't much to say about this wonder. Apart from the fact that it has made its way on to multiple wish lists, favourites lists etc. It's brilliant. Not just any old setting powder, the Un-Powder is made from 100% finely-milled silica that gently blurs out imperfections and any lingering oil. Just try it.

The All Natural Face Cream Blushes
The cream blushes from TANF have been one of my favourite natural makeup discoveries this year. Not only are they amazingly priced, they are long-lasting, super smooth to apply, and come in a variety of beautiful shades. Pictured here is my favourite, Dusky Rose (they also work for the lips!).

Lily Lolo Mascara
My new favourite mascara, this offering from Lily Lolo has blown my Ilia mascara right out of the water. Similar in formula and effect, Lily Lolo's just has to win in terms of price-point. A full review will be going live next week, along with demo pictures.

Silk Naturals Slick Stick in Sea Breeze
Silk Naturals' vegan lipgloss/lipstick hybrid sticks are just my favourite lip products ever. Sea Breeze is a bright coral - that sings of summer - but continues to be beautiful on the lips all year round. It's super moisturising, highly pigmented and fades throughout the day in to a wonderful stain. Highly suggest you give these a go! Find a full review here.

So that's it! My favourite vegan beauty products of 2014. Any listed above that haven't had full reviews, will be featured over the coming weeks. What did you fall in love with last year?

Tips for Going Vegan

• Inform yourself. Firstly, ensure that your intentions for going vegan are clear in your mind. Are you an ethical vegan? Environmental vegan? Or just determined to get healthy? Whatever the catalyst, don't forget why you're making the change. Research the benefits of going vegan, the conditions of factory farming, the impact of going vegan on the environment - anything that will keep you on your path. Also, make sure that you're aware of the many hidden animal ingredients such as lecithin (which isn't always soy based), gelatine, casein and propolis. There are apps and websites which go through these ingredients (and others) in more detail.

• Do not rely on substitutes. The pull towards fake meats and cheeses will be strong when you first go vegan. However, such products can be extremely unhealthy, packed full of soy, oil, salt and preservatives. Try to stay as whole plant-based as you can, taking your nutrition from lots of colourful fruit and veg. However, this doesn't mean that you should avoid them completely. When eating out, there's no harm in indulging once in a while.

• Find replacements for your favourites. Missing out on a precious food love can be heartbreaking, but it can be equally as fun to explore and find healthy vegan alternatives for all your favourite meals. For example, vegan lasagne can be made with butternut squash and a cheese sauce made from almond milk and spices. And then same cheese sauce can be altered to create a delicious and healthy macaroni cheese. Research is key and don't be afraid to get cooking! When you're vegan, it's harder to rely on frozen/pre-prepared meals and it forces you in to the kitchen. For ideas: check out Sim's Kitchenette.

• Be well equipped. It's very important that when you first go vegan - and are less familiar with ingredients and whether you can eat in certain places - to ensure that you always carry snacks. This will stop you going hungry if you ever find yourself in an area without healthy vegan options. Don't just settle for chips. Pack yourself a small snack box with fresh fruit, dried fruit, pasta salad, snack bars, whatever tickles your fancy.

• Finally, go at your own pace. People will tell you to take it in stages and others will tell you that the best method is to go cold turkey. I suggest you do what seems best for you. Some people (who have lots of willpower when it comes to food - like myself) will find it easy to cut out meat and dairy overnight. Others will need a little more time. If you do choose the latter, start with meat, then dairy, the eggs. Finally, you can choose to cut out other animal products such as honey.

Vegan Cuts August Box: Ingredients Review

I was recently contacted by Vegan Cuts and they asked me if I would like to be sent one of their subscription Beauty Boxes for review and sign up as an official Vegan Cuts ambassador. I happily obliged as frankly I've missed the fun of a subscription box and Vegan Cuts caters for vegans who are passionate about using purely cruelty-free and animal-free cosmetics. 

I was sent the August box which contained 5 products, 4 of which - I'm happy to say - just about lived up to my green standards. I really think this is great considering that 'natural' is not the company's primary concern. Vegan does not necessarily equal natural (unfortunately) but Vegan Cuts are doing a great job at bridging the gap. As both an ethical and environmentally motivated vegan, this is something that I'm extremely happy to see and want to actively encourage.

If you want to see what was included in this month's box (and how green it was), click play above!

5 Ways With Chia Seeds

We're talking superfoods on the blog today and more specifically, my favourite superfood. Chia seeds. I'd say chia seeds are one of the more versatile of health foods and I am here today to share some of my favourite ways with chia seeds. Chia seeds are especially high in protein (20% in fact), naturally gluten-free and they are also one of the highest known vegetarian sources of omega-3 in the world. Additionally, they are also incredibly easy to incorporate in to your diet as they are tiny, tasteless and dense in the nutrients of which they possess (which also include fibre, selenium, iron and calcium). So let's great straight in to how you can use these super seeds:

Bulking out porridge or oats: Adding chia seeds to your morning oats is a great way of getting a sure-fire protein kick. My favourite recipe is oat & chia overnight oats. Just combine equal parts rolled oats and chia, add your favourite plant-based mylk, and leave in the fridge overnight. The next day, you'll be left with a nutritious, fluffy base for your porridge toppings of choice. I'm thinking blueberries, bananas and agave...

Making healthy jam: Chia seeds are great ingredient when it comes to making a slightly healthier jam. Traditional recipes are loaded with excess sugar in order to thicken the brew - which can be easily replaced by chia seeds and a sweetener of choice. Check out this post on Nouvelle (by the lovely Annabel) for a divine suggestion.

Adding some crunch: Okay, you're going to have to stay with me for this one - now we're thinking outside the box. I'm a fan of crunchy nut butters. However, I'm not a big fan of whole nuts. I know, it's extremely weird. The only raw nut I kind-of like is cashews. So, when I'm craving some crunchy peanut or almond butter, I spread away as normal and then add a sprinkling of chia seeds. Just try it, it's good.

Adding to cakes/cookies/crepes: Chia seeds are an awesome item to add to your favourite cake or cookie recipes in place of regular flours. My choice would be plan oat/chia cinnamon cookies. I promise I'll do a recipe soon! In the mean time, a quick google will leave you with more than enough sweet recipes containing this wonderful seed. They also work really well in crepes... if you haven't had the chia crepe with cashew cream from InSpiral then you're doing it wrong.

Dressing salads: Finally, I love adding chia-based dressings to my salads. You can stay simple with just lemon juice and some chia, or get fancy by blending some cherry tomatoes, romaine lettuce, chia seeds and a very ripe mango. Delicious. Inventive salad dressings is one of my passions, but that's for another post.

How do you like to use chia seeds?