Foodie Friday: Hip Pop Organic Kombucha review #GutHealth

 

With so many brands of kombucha on the market, health-conscious consumers are truly spoilt for choice so I would always recommend shopping from the huge variety of smaller indie brands. One such brand that I've fallen in love with is Hip Pop.

What Is Kombucha?

First things first though, if you have heard the name kombucha, but don't actually know what it is or you haven't tried it before, here's a quick rundown. Kombucha is the name for fermented tea that's naturally sparkling. It's been around for a long time, with some estimates suggesting 2,000 years with its origins coming from China. 

Why Is Kombucha Healthy?

Kombucha is made by brewing tea, usually black tea, with sugar and allowing it to ferment with the 'mother', or a SCOBY. This is a symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast that contains lots of prebiotics, probiotics, antioxidants & enzymes which are useful for keeping the gut healthy. And don't worry about the sugar content; the sugar is only needed to 'feed' the healthy bacteria, so by the time it's fermented, the kombucha drink will actually be low in sugar.

Why Is Hip Pop Kombucha Different?

As I mentioned earlier, the kombucha drinks market has exploded in recent years and the choice out there is simply astounding, plus it's a fun and interesting process to 'brew your own booch' at home too (I do this pretty regularly!). Hip Pop is brewed in small batches on a farm in Cheshire, in a traditional craft way (similar to artisan beers and ciders). It's also one of the few brands in the world which use a bacteria called Bacillus Coagulans which has undergone specific scientific studies to assess its natural gut-friendly properties, so you can be assured that there are plenty of live cultures in each can/bottle of their kombucha.

Hip Pop has a range of award-winning flavours available and all of their products are vegan-friendly, gluten-free, and dairy-free. They only use natural ingredients so you get a really lovely fresh and authentic taste with no added sweeteners.

Apple & Elderflower

This one is the closest to what most people would describe as a 'tangy Appletiser' but without all the sugar. The subtle floral hint of Elderflower compliments the apple flavour perfectly.

Blueberry & Ginger

If you love blueberries and ginger, then, of course, you will love this. Delicately fruity with a subtle kick of ginger to liven up your tastebuds.

Strawberry & Pineapple

For those who are new to kombucha, I would recommend trying this flavour first as it's the one which is the least tangy in my opinion and tastes the most similar to a healthy fruity soft drink.

Ginger & Yuzu

A truly unique and interesting flavour, this is a strong and citrusy drink that's incredibly refreshing with a good balance of sour tanginess and fiery ginger notes.

Shop the full range at drinkhippop.com

Are you a fan of kombucha?

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Beauty Tips: Adding Some Luxury To Your Nightly Beauty Routine

 

Having a nightly beauty routine can allow you to have a bit of pampering at home, while hopefully keeping you feeling good about yourself. This could involve paying attention to your face, skin, hair, or nails, as well as general well-being. Adding a bit of luxury could remind you that, no matter how busy you are, you are certainly worth the effort you put in. This could also allow you to enjoy your beauty routine even more, as well as to make certain aspects of it significantly easier.

Improve your bathroom fixtures

Being able to see what you’re doing, clean yourself, and even store your products can be incredibly important. The installation of a new vanity unit could help to tick all of these boxes. A new sink basin could allow you to brush your teeth, floss, and remove makeup and other debris from your skin. A mirror hung above it, matching its décor, could be ideal for checking that you haven’t missed anywhere, as well as dealing with trickier tasks such as administering eye drops. Matching cupboards affixed to the basin may help to really transform a small bathroom, allowing you to maximise the space available and keep your products out of sight.

Upgrade your products

To keep your skin fairly smooth, reduce wrinkles, and even promote more collagen, you may have a number of products you like to use. Keeping an eye on their expiration dates may help to prevent damage to your skin. When you want to replace products, you might want to look for some key active ingredients that can have more of an effect while feeling rather luxurious. Additions such as hyaluronic acid and even real gold could lead to a noticeable improvement in the quality of your skin. Buying known products, rather than knock-off brands that may be available at a lower cost, can be a good idea as you may then be able to trust in what you are using and reduce the likelihood of adverse reactions due to poor quality.

Think about your sleep

You may already have a sleep routine in place that helps to keep insomnia and stress at bay. While that is a great idea, it can also be useful to think about the ways you can maintain or improve your hair and skin while you sleep. Using standard cotton pillowcases may be comfortable, but this can also cause oils to become deposited within your skin. At the same time, the roughness of the fibres can lead to unnecessary breakage in your hair. Sleeping on a silk pillowcase could help to prevent this from occurring. You may find that, after a while of doing so, your hair may be less frizzy in the morning, especially if it is naturally curly, and your face is subject to far fewer breakouts than before.

Having a nightly beauty routine may be just as important as a morning one. By imbuing it with a bit of luxury, you may be able to feel more pampered before bed.

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Currently Loving: Naturisimo - The Ultimate Makeup Discovery Box review

 

Earlier this week, the online beauty retailer Naturisimo, released The Ultimate Makeup Discovery Box which, unsurprisingly, sold out very quickly. I was lucky enough to get my hands on one and it's the best beauty bargain of the year so far!

The Ultimate Makeup Discovery Box is a special one-off 8-piece clean makeup edit which features some of the biggest brand names in the industry such as Kjaer Weis, Jillian Dempsey, ILIA, RMS Beauty and more. With four full-size products, the box is worth a whopping £161 and cost just £22 to purchase from Naturisimo.

I'm sure you'll all like to find out more about the contents and I've included some swatches of the main items as well - enjoy!

RMS Beauty Re Evolve Radiance Locking Primer (travel size)

First up, every great makeup look requires a good primer base and this travel size of RMS Beauty Re Evolve Radiance Locking Primer ticks all the right boxes. It has an innovative, weightless formula which not only helps to grip makeup and keep it in place all day long, but also locks in essential moisture. 

Pai Skincare The Impossible Glow in Champagne (travel size)

I'm a sucker for a gorgeous liquid highlighter and they don't come much more gorgeous than Pai's The Impossible Glow. For the most beautiful dewy glow, simply mix a few drops into your moisturiser, or add directly to the skin for a more intense highlight. This golden champagne shade is universally flattering and perfect for the upcoming party season!

Jillian Dempsey Lid Tint in Peach (full size)

Jillian Dempsey is a celebrity makeup artist that I've come across many times, yet this is the first opportunity that I've had to try one of her products. These Lid Tints have something of a cult following and are packed full of organic ingredients. A peach shade is great for busy mornings when you just want a quick finger-swipe of colour across the lids, and given the creamy compact nature, I'm wondering if this will translate well as a lip and cheek product too?

Ere Perez Jojoba Oil Eye Pencil in Black (full size)

It may not be the most exciting item in this box, but you can't go wrong with a straight up black eyeliner pencil, nor can you ever have too many of them, can you? I've had the pleasure of trying out many Ere Perez products over the years and they are always fantastic quality. This eyeliner pencil is infused with Jojoba Oil for a creamy and easy application that doesn't drag on the delicate eye area.

ILIA Limitless Lash Mascara (travel size)

You guys know that I'm a massive mascara junkie so I was of course delighted to discover a travel size tube of ILIA Limitless Lash Mascara. ILIA are another clean makeup brand that I can't get enough of (their Lipsticks are particularly beautiful) and I have high hopes for this mascara which promises to lentghen, curl and volume, without flaking.

Kjaer Weis Flush & Glow Duo in Sunlit Glow (full size)

The star of the box is without a doubt the full-size Kjaer Weis Flush & Glow Duo which is worth £40 on its own! If you haven't held one of Kjaer Weis' weighty metal compacts in your hand, then I urge you to add it to your Christmas wishlist; they are true works of art and refillable so you can treasure them forever. Back to this product which features a cream blush and bronzer in Sunlit Glow, this compact is super easy to work with and blends like a dream.

Vapour Beauty Lip Nectar in Tempest (full size)

A makeup discovery box is not complete without a lipstick and wow, what a beauty this one is! Vapour Lip Nectar is a moisture-rich lippy packed full of nourishing organic ingredients so it glides on effortlessly and feels wonderfully hydrated; a fab choice for Winter. The shade Tempest looks quite dark in the bullet, but it's actually very light and buildable as you can see in the swatches below.

Swatches! From top to bottom: Pai The Impossible Glow in Champagne, Jillian Dempsey Lid Tint in Peach, Ere Perez Jojoba Oil Eye Pencil in Black, Kjaer Weis Flush & Glow Duo in Sunlit Glow and Vapour Beauty Lip Nectar in Tempest

SBTRCT Makeup Melt (travel size)

A new-to-me brand, SBTRCT specialise in solid, plastic-free skincare and their Makeup Melt is a gentle but effective bar that melts away all traces of makeup when you add a little warm water to it. I love the smell of this and will definitely be checking out more from this interesting brand in the near future.

RMS Beauty Re Evolve Natural Finish Foundation Sample Card

As an added bonus, there's an RMS Beauty Re Evolve Natural Finish Foundation Sample Card where you can try four shades of their latest foundation - 22 looks like my ideal shade!

Keep an eye out for future Discovery Boxes exclusively at naturisimo.com

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Health & Lifestyle: Revive Collagen - Premium Vegan Collagen Drink Supplement review

 

A couple of months ago, I reviewed Revive Collagen Original Collagen Supplements, and I was asked by a couple of my regular readers if I knew of any vegan-friendly versions. Well, guess what?! Revive has recently launched the world's first clinically proven vegan collagen!

With more and more people turning to a plant-based diet for either personal, ethical, or environmental reasons (or all of the above), it makes sense for there to be a vegan version of pretty much everything out there these days. However, sometimes this takes time to come to fruition, but lo and behold, Revive have well and truly cracked it with a liquid vegan collagen supplement drink. This is currently the only product of its kind in the world which identically mimics human type 1 collagen.

Recommended by the famous consultant dermatologist, Dr. Alhia Ahmed and Harley Street nutritionist, Clarissa Lenherr, this new product has been clinically proven to work in trials with 80% of participants saying it made a noticeable improvement to their skin. In vitro trials also showed that Revive Collagen's vegan ingredients increased collagen production by 134.97% - that's pretty impressive!

What's In It?

Each liquid supplement drink contains 2500mg of Revive's VeCollal Blend which is a 100% vegan-friendly and sustainable alternative to animal-sourced collagen. There's also a whole host of essential vitamins such as Vitamin A (Retinol), B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B7 (Biotin), B9, C, E, and D3, plus 10mg of Panax Ginseng to help support natural energy levels.

How To Use

Consume one sachet per day, either direct from the sachet or add it to a small glass of water. This supplement has a pleasant Raspberry flavour so I've been taking it straight from the sachet, first thing in the morning before I eat anything.

Overall Thoughts

I have seen so many people online ask about vegan collagen supplements that it's amazing to finally be able to provide them with a solution, and one that truly exceeds all expectations. Described as 'the most efficacious and bioavailable liquid vegan collagen that exists' – this liquid supplement drink has a 95% absorption rate compared to tablets (30%) and Revive Collagen Vegan’s ingredients bypass digestion so that you reap the rewards quickly and efficiently.

The addition of the Panax Ginseng, along with the spectrum of essential vitamins, makes this what I would call a 'Collagen plus' supplement, and is a worthy addition to anyone's daily routine for better overall skin and health.

Shop Revive Vegan Collagen* (14 sachets, £37.99) revivecollagen.com

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