BIG Sea Salt Shampoo - Lush Review

Hi, I'm Danni and I'm a Lush addict. I bet you are too. Come on admit it, you have at least two bath bombs waiting to be sploshed into hot water for a colourful soothing soak in the tub. I certainly do, I have at least ten following the Boxing day sale. I kind of went crazy and got two gift sets and numerous half-price soaps. And on top of this, I also received gift sets for Christmas, so yes I am set for the entire year. Apart from all the smelly bath bombs, I decided to pick up a favourite of mine - Big Sea Salt Shampoo.

On Lush's website, it says to use a small amount of this shampoo - which is filled with sea salt, seaweed, coconut oil and lemon and lime - work into wet hair well to create a lather. At first, I was very dubious of Big's volumising claims, and I still kind of am. It definitely has all the makings of a great uplifting shampoo, but maybe I'm not doing it right. I should probably use less... But the real reason I am still in love with this shampoo is the way it makes my hair feel. After using Big my hair feels so clean. It actually squeaks. This doesn't mean that my hair feels dry at all because of the intense clean, quite the opposite it feels silky and smooth. I don't use this all the time as it is quite an intense shampoo, what will the large chunks of salt, but every week I get the satisfaction of making my hair super clean. Squeaky clean. It also smells amazing. At first, you may not think so, which happens with a few of the Lush products, but after a few washes, you will love it. It is so fresh and invigorating and the fragrance sticks to your hair after you've rinsed it all away. I'd urge you all to try this shampoo and I think I will try using a little less to see if this helps improve my volume! Do you have any Lush recommendations? I'd love to hear them as I'm obsessed with the shop and need a reason to visit again.

Tortilla Pizza - A Healthy Idea

I love pizza! Get me an Asda make your own stuffed crust pizza with mushrooms & pineapple and I'll be happy. Since I've taken a step over to the healthier side I've stopped picking up my weekly pizza as it was very stodgy. I don't usually eat pizza now but recently I've fancied it so put one of these tortilla pizzas together. They are so easy to do and so satisfying!

This is the simplest pizza recipe you will ever see...

Ingredients

-Tortillas (you can use white or wholemeal)

-Tomato paste or pasatta

-Cheese (any pizza cheese like cheddar or mozzarella)

-Any toppings you fancy!

Method

First preheat the oven to an average cooking temp (I use 180 degrees). When that is warm, pop your tortilla on a tray and in the oven to toast slightly before adding the toppings. Bring it out and slather it with tomato paste as your base. Sprinkle cheese over this then add your toppings.

Be mindful not to add anything too large or wet as it will mess up your pizza!

When you are satisfied with how your pizza looks sprinkle a little cheese on the top and pop it back in the over. Depending on how crispy you'd like the base to be I'd say leave this for 5-7 minutes whilst watching closely.

Then wallah! You have pizza! You can cut it up like you would a pizza or fold it up like a calzone. The choices are endless but it tastes pretty darn yummy.

Also, the possibilities for this creation don't end here! You could change up the tomato paste for BBQ sauce or garlic butter to make a totally different pizza. If you fancied you could also try a sweet version with chocolate spread. Seriously guys get experimenting.

Let me know if you make this and what you think.

UGOT Food Review - Newcastle Train Station

ÜGOT kindly invited me along to try out their Newcastle Train Station shop for some lunch. As I don't live in the immediate area I tagged this on to a trip up to Newcastle for a different blogger event. I got there early so I had enough time to pick my food, sit and enjoy people watching.

When I got there the guys were super helpful as they explained what all the different options they had and what extras they provided. They didn't have the whole selection left to pick from as it was around 5pm when I visited but there was still some tasty meals which I struggled to pick from.

I finally decided on a falafel & kale wrap and a nettle ice tea with fresh berries. I took a pew outside the shop and munched away at my wrap. It was super tasty with all sorts of healthy bits inside including kale, couscous, lettuce and tzatziki dressing. The taste of the falafel was a bit dry but it was definitely not lacking flavour.

I was dubious at first about the ice tea as I'm already an avid drinker of peach black tea. As it was nettle tea I thought it might taste bitter but I think the infusion of berries certainty helped and it tasted lovely and refreshing. They also have earl grey and elderflower ice tea which I'd love to try.

After my wrap, I went back inside to take a few more pictures for this post and the guys offered me some frozen yoghurt to try. I was given a mix of normal and chocolate. It tasted lovely but I swear it tasted fruity, I was very confused but assured they were the right flavours! They also offer pomegranate & raspberry and carrot cake flavour. I want to try these so bad.

Overall I had a really great experience at ÜGOT. The food is such good quality and what they serve is super healthy and good for you. It's nothing like you'd find anywhere on a normal high street. The service was friendly and helpful and the interior was really creative and cool. I really wish they had an ÜGOT in Middlesbrough as I'd be going there every day for lunch! If you pass this place on your journey in or out of Newcastle Station I'd recommend it. They also have a few other locations in the UK including York Train Station.

*this meal was provided free of charge but all opinions are honest.

Healthy Chilli Con Carne Recipe

Recently I've been trying to eat clean with fresh ingredients and no added nasties, which means store-bought sauces have been removed from house! Instead, I've taken to Pinterest for healthy versions of our favourites. I'm a huge lover of chilli con carne, whether it be with rice, in a wrap, or with a lovely salad - it is just a yummy dish. I found this recipe on the Southern-In-Law blog and I've edited it to add some extra goodness! This has become a firm favourite in our house because it is tasty and such an easy recipe to whip up.

Ingredients - serves 4

- 250g beef or turkey mince

-1/2 onion chopped (I use frozen to save time!)

-1 medium carrot, grated (with skin on for more nutrients)

-5 mushrooms, chopped

-1 or 2 tomatoes, chopped into chunks (optional to add more freshness)

-1 clove garlic, crushed (I use lazy chopped garlic)

-1/2 tbsp cumin 

-1 tsp oregano

-1 tsp paprika 

-1/4 tsp chilli powder

-1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (add more or less chilli and cayenne depending on how hot you like it)

-2 tins of crushed tomatoes (800g)

-1 tbsp tomato paste (I usually use more!)

- a cube of beef stock powder

-1 bay leaf (optional)

-1 medium can kidney beans, drained and rinsed (about 450g)

1. First cook your mince until browned off, if using turkey mince add the beef stock now to add more flavour. Move your mince to one side of the pan so you can cook your onions. When they start to soften add your spices and garlic and combine. Give that a few minutes then mix the mince and the onions together.

2. Next add your chopped mushrooms, tomatoes and grated carrot. Mix together and leave to cook for a few minutes making sure to stir.

3. Add your tinned chopped tomatoes, tomato paste and beef stock (if you are using beef mince), stir through and bring to the boil. Turn down to a simmer and add your bay leaf. Leave for around 30 minutes to an hour depending on how thick you like it.

4. When it has reached your preferred consistency remove the bay leaf and add your kidney beans and stir through. Leave to cook for around 5/10 minutes longer before serving.

Serving suggestions - I like to eat mine in a baby gem lettuce leaf with a dollop of Greek yoghurt and a sprinkling of cheese. Mmmmmm!

Do you have any good Pinterest recipes you can suggest?! *I left out the mushrooms and kidney beans by accident in my haste to get these pictures done! Oops!

How to ensure your nails are stunning every time

I know that for some people doing your nails is something you dislike, its like a minefield. How do people get their fingernails so darn perfect? If you take some time out of your day to focus on your nails you can really ensure they are on point. - Make sure your nails are clean and maintained. I mean all polish off, any nasty bits of skin polished clean, cuticles pushed and cut back as well as your nails being filed to create a smooth edge. Just a tip - use a crystal nail file as they are much gentler on your nails (without loosing the grit). Although this is a bit harsh as an extra clean I rub my nails with a nail brush and a bit of exfoliating wash to ensure they are sparkling and smooth! This may be too far but it works, just ensure to moisturise after to keep your skin soft... -Invest in a good base coat. I always look for something that adds something to my nails (whether it help repair or strengthen my nails). It also has to be quite rubbery to help the nail polish stay on for longer. -Make sure you paint around the tips of your nails to ensure your polish doesn't chip (or it takes a bit longer for it to start!). If you do this with your polish and your topcoat it will seal the polish around the edges to help prevent chipping. -The biggest secret to amazing looking nails is clean up. Before I learnt this I always thought people were magicians with a nail brush never getting a drop around their nails. How wrong I was and how easy it is to look like you are amazing at painting your nails. Basically, you need a fine paintbrush (I use a nail art brush I got in a set from eBay) and some nail polish remover, preferably in a little pot, with some tissue to dab the brush when removing colour. Then just use it to clean up like you would paint around your nail. Easy peasy lemon squeezy. Be careful with colours like red though as they are harder to get off! -Lastly, don't forget to moisturise! If you don't moisturise on a regular basis you could have dry hands which will ruin even the best nail paint job. Either use cuticle cream or good ol' hand cream just make sure to give your hands some TLC. Please note that I am self-taught at doing my nails and have not had any training. If my tips work for you then great and if not at least we tried! Best of luck on your mission to have brilliant nails!