19 July 2014

Cookies and Scream Camden, London
I have one rule for my Birthday, if it falls on a work day I book the day off. There is no way I am sitting in an office, I want to be out having fun. Birthdays should also include ice cream and cake (and sometimes jelly). 

This year my Birthday wish was to have a day out that included a restaurant/cafe stop where I could have the freedom to eat what my heart desired. The first place that sprang to mind was Cookies & Scream in Camden London. I knew this place would be awesome because my lovely friend Nicola (@N1C79_EATS) has mentioned it may times.

Cookies & Scream is located within the Dingwalls gallery area of the Camden Lock market. Every product is dairy, egg, wheat and gluten free and the baked goods are made fresh on site. I was overwhelmed by choice and it took me ages to decide but in the end I went for a Salted Caramel Milkshake and Peanut Butter Chico. Oh boy, oh boy that milkshake was more like an ice cream sundae. I was slurping it down for quite some time but the warm weather was helping the ice cream to melt quickly. The cookie was delicious, soft and moist (can be warmed before serving but I declined). I never would have guessed it was gluten free, even my boyfriend enjoyed a couple of mouthful and gave positive feedback. Lets be honest, I was on a unrefined sugar high for the rest of the day. My eyes were bigger than my belly, I left feeling over indulged and slightly queasy (but in a good way). Cookie & Scream also serve Tea Pigs, Espresso, Americano, Soya Latte and Macchiatos if you're not a milkshake lover.

I had never been to Camden before and the whole experience was awesome. I did not realise it was a rabbit run of market stalls. I can understand why it is a tourist hot spot. You need to be prepared for the crowds, even on a Friday it was pretty busy. Obviously, anyone with allergies/intolerances needs to tread carefully and ask questions. Cookies & Scream display an allergy information notice at their bar. I would suggest that anyone with a soya or nut allergy will probably not find it suitable.

Sarah x

17 July 2014


Balm Balm Frankincense Deep Cleansing Balm and Inika foundation powder
The gorgeous Chesca of Fern & Moss agreed to take part in my series about Blogger Holy Grails. I love Chesca's blog because she has excellent taste in natural and organic skincare and is passionate about good ingredients. She recently took an amazing Californian Road Trip and I loved reading about her holiday.  Here is what Chesca has to say about her favourite products.

Balm Balm Frankincense Deep Cleansing Balm
I think I'm in love with this cleansing balm. I've never used a product that has made my skin so much better in such a short space of time as this has, and I can't use anything else. 100% organic and blended with a variety of beautiful oils, it draws dirt and impurities out of the skin, but whilst still retaining moisture and nourishing your skin to keep it plump and healthy. It includes calendula oil to sooth skin, grapefruit oil to refresh and frankincense to rejuvenate (as well as give it that beautiful scent). I have very breakout prone skin, but this has kept my skin clear and free of spots for the first time in my life. At only £7.99 it's amazing value, and I usually buy two at a time so I know I'll never run out. I highly, highly recommend Balm Balm products. They are an amazing company with wonderful ethics and even better products.

Once you use a good mineral powder foundation, it's easy to become addicted to how good it makes your skin feel. This one from Inika is easily a rival for the more conventional Bare Minerals Foundation. It has excellent coverage but is very light, feeling like a second skin yet still covering up redness and uneven skin tone. I apply this with a medium powder brush, and it gives an airbrushed finish with a healthy, natural glow. It doesn't mattify my skin as it's not a pressed powder, and instead softens my skin, looking better than a liquid foundation does on photographs. Made without bismuth oxychloride, it's a genius blend of mineral pigments with the added benefit of SPF 15. Inika are another brand who have incredible ethics, whilst also making amazing organic make up that rivals that of conventional cosmetics companies.

I am a huge fan of Balm Balm products but so far I have not tried anything from Inika. What about you? Do you like these brands or are they on your wish list?

Sarah x

15 July 2014


Natural and Organic Body Washes and shower gels Free From SLS
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Body washes are not the most exciting skincare products in the world but we all use them. It's important for me that my shower gel is free from any irritating ingredients as I'm prone to eczema. I choose to avoid sulphates (SLS/SLES) and need to avoid linalool (an allergen present in essential oils). Of course solid soaps provide a zero waste option but I prefer liquid washes (don't hate on me I just like what I like).

Here's a list of body washes that I enjoy using and I hope you will as well. 

Benecos Shower Gel Apricot & Elderflower - gently cleanse while hydrating and restoring balance to the skin and available in five fragrances.

Green People Organic Children Bath & Shower Berry Smoothie - Gentle organic bubble bath that’s kind to delicate skin, Fruity Raspberry, Apple and Vanilla aroma smells good enough to eat, Suitable for sensitive skin prone to eczema, psoriasis & dermatitis. Other adult and child friendly shower gels are available, including a Scent Free option 

Jason Natural Body Wash Smoothing Coconut - wide collection of fragrance options available but coconut is my personal favourite, budget and family friendly, a moisturizing body wash gently cleans and nourishes with Coconut Oil and Shea Butter.

Odylique Aloe Vera Body Wash - Creamy, moisturising and luxuriously enriched with organic extra virgin olive oil which has terrific skin-conditioning properties, plus biodynamic calendula herb to soothe (affiliate code 20% discount - SUGARPUFFISH)

Organii Shower Gel Shea Butter - a variety of scent options are available but Shea Butter is my favourite, Shea butter is a well known ingredient for moisturising skin, it has a high concentration of natural vitamins and fatty acids meaning it can deeply nourish skin

Sarah x

13 July 2014

Content Beauty Wellbeing Store Front London
If you are part of the Green Blogger Community then you probably heard about the Field Trip Tour which was organised by Mayah & Sabrina of Call It Vanity. A quick thank you to Content Beauty & WellbeingNature & Co and Beauty Mart for letting us invade their shops. 

Alima Pure display at Nature & Co
Alima Pure display at Nature & Co

I wanted to write my blog post from a different perspective. Visiting stores and stocking up on natural skincare and makeup was a wonderful experience in the presence of like minded people. For me, the day went beyond shopping. It was about meeting the wonderful ladies I spend so much of my time chatting with over twitter. On the whole the blogging community welcomes everyone with open arms but life isn't all unicorns and rainbows. In the last year or two I took a back seat to this community as I was sick of the bitching I have experienced/witnessed. I was tired of the playground bullying but yesterday renewed my faith in bloggers. The Green Blogger Community should be a place of peace, love and harmony, after all isn't that what Green Living is all about?

As I sit here the day after, resting my old bones and sore feet, I want to thank Mayah, Rachel, Jen, Katie, Tania, Liz and Hephzibah for welcoming me with open arms. I truly had an awesome fun filled day and I loved swapping tips on blogging and products. Like many of you have already mentioned, it was a shame that our time with the other group was short and sweet. Shout out to Amber (Amber's Beauty Talk) and Liz (well meaning being) for their awesome hugs. It was also nice to bump into Lilian at Content, even though I didn't recognise her with the new hair do. 

If any of you ever find yourself in my neck of the woods, be sure to pop by for a cuppa. Thank you to everyone for being AWESOME xxxx
vegan food at Wholefoods
Sarah x

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