Juice Warrior - Juice Cleanse: Review

With Christmas fast approaching, it's the time of year when most of us have a jam packed social calender

All these lovely events usually include copious amounts of food and drink, which although great at the time it can soon catch up with you and leaving you feeling just a bit...Bleurgh!

My lifestyle has changed an awful lot in 2013 

I used to be a complete exercise-phobe. This year I joined a gym and have been going regularly 

My diet has improved drastically I now put a lot more thought into what I'm consuming and try to eat as clean as possible when I can.

All these good intentions however seem to go right out the window at Christmas!

I had been reading a lot about juicing and have been thinking about buying myself a juicer to try and incorporate some more fruit and veg into my diet but I didn't want to rush out and buy one if it really wasn't for me.

Luckily I was offered the chance to try out a Juice Cleanse from a Glasgow based company called Juice Warrior. 

Their juices are 100% pure cold pressed fruit and vegetable juices. They are never processed or pasteurised so you don't have to worry about any horrible additives. These juices are all natural,

because of this the juices are highly perishable so have to be consumed within a few days, but the company do offer a delivery service. 

You can pick from a few different cleanses from between 1-3 days. 

I only opted for one day this time as I just wanted to give it a try and decide whether it was for me. 

It is up to the individual whether they want to eat or not whilst doing the cleanse, but it is advised that you stick to fruit and vegetables and don't consume any processed food.

As I attend the gym regularly it is important that I consume enough calories to keep my energy up 

So I was quite worried at the prospect of not eating all day, but I decided to try and stick to the juices alone and see how I got on. 

I waited until about 10:30 to try my first juice

I usually eat breakfast around 7am but I had a day off yesterday so I had only been up for around an hour when I drank this. 

This flavour is 'The Golden One' containing - Pineapple, Orange, Sweet Potato and Ginger 

I was slightly dubious about the Sweet Potato as it seemed quite a random addition amongst the other fruits but it was really quite nice! It definitely suppressed my hunger. 

I had my second juice at around 1:30pm 

This time I opted for 'Sweet Beet' containing - Beetroot, Carrot, Apple, Lemon and Ginger 

Now I really wasn't looking forward to this one as I absolutely hate beetroot

but I liked all the other ingredients so I was hoping they would sort of drown out the beet taste.

Unfortunately that was the strongest flavour and I didn't particularly enjoy this one

but I gulped it down anyway. 

I had another Sweet Beet around 3:30pm

Although I had to decided to try and get through the day drinking the juice alone 

by about 5pm I was absolutely starving so I decided to make some dinner 

I had some roasted vegetables 

Red and Yellow Peppers, Courgettes, Red Onion, and Cherry Tomatoes 

I can honestly say vegetables have never tasted so good! 

Before bed I had one more 'The Golden One'

I thought I would be really tired and worn out by bed time but I actually struggled to get to sleep and seemed to have loads of energy! I was hungry though and had a bit of a sore head.

I'm almost certain that the sore head was due to not having any caffeine.

I am an absolute coffee fiend and whenever I try and take a day off from drinking coffee I get really bad headaches.

I woke up this morning feeling bright eyed and bushy tailed 

My dad even asked me 'What I was on?' haha 

and although the cleanse is not designed to be a weight loss programme 

I did weigh myself before I started and then again this morning

I had lost a total of 4lb which will definitely go a long way in helping me squeeze into my dress tonight for my xmas night out! 

Although I really struggled with the hunger I definitely want to try this again

I will probably try a 3 day cleanse early in the New Year 

from what I have heard the hunger subsides on the 2nd and 3rd day 

Would you try a juice cleanse?

Or have you tried one before?

If you live in the Glasgow and are thinking about trying one here is the website for Juice Warriors

www.juicewarrior.co.uk

Jen xxx

Festive Nails - NOTD

Now I won't pretend to be some sort of nail painting extraordinaire 

They are usually a bit of a riot, I try and keep them nice and tidy but more often than not, I fail. 

However since I'm attending a Christmas Jumper Party tonight I thought I would make a bit of effort and make my talons a bit Christmassy :) 

What colours are more gloriously festive and tacky than red and green?

For the red nails I used:

two coats of 

No 7 Stay Perfect Nail Colour in the shade Devils Delight

covered with one coat of 

W7 Nail Polish in shade 2 - Red Dazzle 

For the green nails I used:

two coats of

No 7 Stay Perfect Nail Colour in the shade Totally Teal 

and one cot of 

W7 Nail Varnish in Shade 8 - Green Dazzle 

I think the No7 and W7 combinations work really nicely together 

and obviously if the alternating nail colours are a bit OTT for you 

then you could just opt for all red or all green

What are your go to nails for the festive season ?

I will be sure to post a photo of my awesome Christmas jumper on Twitter or Instagram 

So if you aren't already following me please do

Twitter - @thebigburdblog

Instagram - @biggins89

Jen xxx

Social & Cocktail - The Review

I can't quite believe I'm up and writing this today after the night I had last night! 

Admittedly I have a rather sore head, but I am powering through

I was lucky enough to host a fabulous cocktail party courtesy of Social & Cocktail 

In the comfort of my own kitchen!

There is nothing I hate more (especially in a wet and freezing Glasgow) than going for a night out and having to wait in a massive taxi que to get home at the end of the night.

So this was my idea of heaven! 

My lovely bar tender Evan arrived at 7:45 with a little white suitcase which magically turned into the most amazing cocktail bar.

They bring everything you can think of from fresh fruit and ice to cocktail glasses and straws

and probably best of all, they even clean up everything when they are finished!

I chose five cocktails for us to try from the menu. I wanted to stick to mainly vodka based drinks so there wouldn't be too many sore heads in the morning from mixing drinks,

We went for:
Moscow Mule

French Martini 

Cosmopolitan 

Strawberry Daiquiri 

and Mojitos

They were all absolutely delicious but I think my favourite was either the Moscow Mule which was so refreshing or the French Martini which is my favourite cocktail of all time 

My little cousin Rebecca is Vlogging every day for two months for charity 

You can check out her Youtube channel here

and Evan very kindly let her join in with the cocktail making and include it in her vlog

You could tell he was really passionate about his job and was answering all our questions about the different types of cocktails. 

He also wasn't scared of joining in with the banter in a room full of women! He must have thought we were all a bit crazy, especially after a few cocktails. 

He done a great job and really made the night what it was. 

Social and Cocktail can be hired for private parties and corporate events 

and the prices are so reasonable! 

£25 a head and they were here from 7:45 until after 12 

It is definitely worth the money when you think how expensive cocktail bars are.

I would definitely recommend hiring them

It is such a brilliant idea for birthdays or hen nights 

or even just for a fab night in or even before you head out to a club!

If you are in the Glasgow area and fancy having one of these great nights for yourself 

you can find the guys here

www.socialandcocktail.co.uk

or on twitter @sococktail 

They are also going to be branching out to Edinburgh early in the New Year :)

Jen xxx

Estee Lauder Double Wear Foundation: Review

One question I always see getting asked in the #bbloggers chat on Twitter is 

Can somebody recommend a good full coverage foundation?

and I always reply with, 'Estee Lauder Double Wear'

So I decided it was time to do a post about the product I am constantly raving about

This is my ultimate holy grail foundation

I have been wearing it for years now and although it is by no means the only foundation I use 

(My stash of liquid foundations is verging on ridiculous)

It is the one I ALWAYS repurchase 

This is the foundation I will always turn to if I have a big night out or special occasion 

as the finish is absolutely flawless and the staying power is the best I have ever used

The best way I have found of applying it is with my Real Techniques Buffing Brush

These two are a dream combination for a flawless face

I suffer with redness across my cheeks and this foundation is great at completely covering my problem areas with minimal need for concealer.

If you have tried Rimmel wake me up foundation I would say they are comparable coverage wise.

Although Double Wear has much better staying power and gives far more matte appearance

Sometimes the 'glow' from Wake Me Up can leave me looking a little shiny.

I wear the shade 3N1 Ivory Beige which is a perfect match for my skintone

and from what I have seen they have a good range of colours.

You can head down to your nearest Estee Lauder counter for a colour match 

The only negative about this foundation is that it has no pump dispenser

but I have found that the MAC foundation pump fits the bottle perfectly 

You can pick one of these up online or in your nearest MAC for £4

It would take a pretty major contender to get me to sway from my beloved Double Wear 

but if you know of anything that lives up to it with a similar coverage please let me know :) 

Have you tried Double Wear before?

Are you going to give it a go now?

Jen <3 xxx

Pantene Clarifying Shampoo: Review

If you didn't already know, a clarifying shampoo is a product which is designed to cleanse the hair and remove product and oil build-up.

I have extremely irritating hair, it can be dry through the ends but sometimes my roots can feel oily almost as soon as I've washed my hair.

I used to wash my hair every single day as I honestly couldn't have left the house without doing it.

It was so greasy looking you could have fried chips on it! even although I had only washed it the day before.

Washing your hair every day is really not ideal 

It can take up a lot of precious time, which lets be honest could be spent in bed! 

Plus my hair does not dry well naturally, so washing daily also means blow drying daily

and constant heat is never good for your hair.

This shampoo has been part of my haircare routine for about a year now

and I have noticed a massive difference in my hair 

I try and keep my product use to a minimum throughout the week 

The weekend is a totally different story though. My poor hair goes through the mill 

I basically pile on anything that claims to give me 'BIG' hair 

Come Monday morning, my tresses are in a sorry state 

That's when I whip this out

You only have to use it around once a week to see the effects 

Any more than that and you could be stripping your hair of colour and healthy oils that it needs to keep it nourished.

My hair never feels cleaner than it does after using this and I have found that I now only have to wash my hair every couple of days, which makes such a difference. 

Also don't be scared to use this on dry/damaged hair, although it gets rid of the product it won't leave your hair feeling straw like and dried out just lovely, light and clean.

There are many clarifying shampoos on the market, but this is definitely one of the most budget friendly 

Less than £4 for a whopping 400ml

and what's more they are on BOGOF in Boots just now!

Have you used this before?

Do you regularly use a clarifying shampoo?

Jen <3 

Chobani Greek Yogurt - Bloggers Dinner - Glasgow

Last night I had the pleasure of being invited to a gorgeous dinner

courtesy of Chobani Greek Yogurt

Chobani is a brand that hasn't long been released in the UK

but has been a massive success across the pond

When their founder first released the product there was no big marketing budget 

so the majority of the brands success came from people just like us, bloggers and social media lovers! 

Therefore the blogging community is very close to their hearts 

which is why a lovely bunch of us Glasgow bloggers were invited down to The Corinthian to try out some of their products! 

I am currently on a fitness journey and doing a lot of weight and strength training 

So right now it's really important for me to pack plenty of protein into my diet

It really appeals to me that Chobani yogurts actually contain TWICE the amount of protein than in a normal yogurt!

 Chobani worked with the chefs and mixologists at The Corinthian to come up with a unique food and drinks menu where every course contained some of the Greek Yogurt.

I would have never considered adding yogurt to a cocktail but it really worked!

infact it went down a bit too well! 

After a very meaty meal last weekend 

I decided to change things up a bit last night and go for the Vegetarian options on the menu

I had the risotto to start which was lovely 

The yogurt gave it a really thick creamy texture 

and for someone who isn't a pea lover I polished off the lot! 

Now I know I was slating polenta in my last post 

but I decided to give it another chance and I'm glad I did 

It was really lovely and perfectly set off by the Yogurt which acted as a sour cream dip for the polenta cake

The peppery rocket and red pepper salad was a lovely finishing touch

For dessert I went for the Creme Brulee 

which had a gorgeous thick consistency 

and the caramel gave it a lovely sweet flavour

I made a complete mess all over the table with the crumbly shortbread! 

(Can't take me anywhere)

Usually the only time I eat yogurt is with fresh berries for breakfast

but I will definitely be trying to incorporate it into my meals more often 

especially when I'm trying to increase my protein intake.

Here are the two gorgeous ladies that made it happen 

Christine and Amy were such lovely hostesses running around after us all night! 

They both even have their own blogs 

Christine - Little Swallow

Amy - Yummei

 Of course the best part of the whole evening was getting to see some of my lovely blogger friends like:

Melissa Laura & Paula

Have you tried Chobani yet?

Do you have any good recipes using Greek Yogurt?

Jen xx

Glasgow Eats: MEAT Bar

Warning! This post is for the Carnivores among you

Personally I don't think I could ever go Veggie, I like the principle behind it 

but I just love meat too much!

(Insert your own dirty joke here)

As soon as I heard that MEAT bar had opened I knew I had to go ASAP

Situated in West Regent Street I loved it as soon as I seen it 

The dazzling neon sign drew me in straight away

We went downstairs to the basement bar, with its low ceilings and atmospheric lighting made for a really cosy setting.

We were seated right at the back of the bar

which was full of after work revellers many of whom were at the bar enjoying the vast cocktail list! 

some of which actually contain meat...seriously!

Unfortunately I couldn't try one as I'm taking part in Sober October 

but they certainly looked interesting!

Anyway on to the food.

We skipped the starter and went straight for the mains 

I knew exactly what I was going for as soon as I seen it

''The French Dip"

with a side of Triple Cooked Chips 

I had to tackle this beast in two halves 

The brisket was so juicy and tender, the onion rings perfectly crispy

I was delighted to find gherkins inside which are some of my absolute favourite things 

and it was all set off perfectly by the Swiss cheese.

I have been trying my hardest to resist chips recently as I am an absolute carb fiend 

but I couldn't say no to triple cooked chips and I'm glad I never.

I'm pretty sure Craig was scared to touch them in-case I bit his hand off !

I seriously could not recommend this meal enough it was absolutely delicious 

Craig "The protein king"

opted for the Tasting Smoked Plate 

where he basically got to try a bit of everything from the smoker! 

He must have enjoyed it because I hardly got a word out of him the whole time! 

I managed to sneak a little bit of pulled pork off his plate which was juicy and delicious

and also a little bit of the chicken wing which had been marinated in some spice which definitely had a kick to it!

He also ordered a side of Polenta Bricks

I'm not a polenta lover purely because I don't really enjoy the grainy texture

but he said they were lovely.

Now for the piece de resistance

DESSERT!

Peanut butter shortbread topped with salted caramel ice cream

I've never heard such beautiful words in one sentence before!

As a girl who will happily eat peanut butter out of the jar with a spoon 

I was unbelievably excited to see this on the menu

(Only made better by the fact that Craig hates peanuts and couldn't have any :) )

It was without a doubt up there with the best desserts I've ever had.

and I savoured every little mouthful.

For this lovely lot including soft drinks our bill came to just under £40

which isn't bad at all considering how much we enjoyed it 

P.S There are Vegetarian options available on the menu so please don't feel like you can't pay them a visit if you are not a meat lover! 

Have you been to MEAT yet?

Is there anywhere else I have to try soon?

Jen <3 

Maybelline The Falsies Volum' Express Mascara: Review

What's that? I'm late to the party again?

Yeh yeh I know this has been about forever and everyone and their granny has tried it!

but of course I am just getting around to it 

It's not that I didn't know about this mascara 

I'd seen many a guru rave about it and it was always popping up on Tanya Burr's channel 

I just had quite a few mascaras that I needed to use up 

I had been getting a bit fed up of all the ones I had 

Soap & Glory Thick n Fast

and Loreal False Lash Telescopic 

had been floating around my makeup drawer for a while but neither of them were really doing it for me

So I decided to finally pick this up and have a go

I've got to say I wish I had done it sooner

When I first opened it I was slightly sceptical about the wand

I'm quite picky when it comes to mascara

I like a brush not a comb and I like them to be straight and sturdy

So when I seen the bend in this I wrote it off immediately

Turns out I was wrong 

*GASP*

I actually quite like the bend

It makes for a much quicker application and for some reason I feel like it makes the mascara hold my curl better

It separates my lashes brilliantly and really adds thickness to them

I think what I like most about this mascara is how nice it looks on my bottom lashes 

I was just about to buy the Clinique bottom lash mascara 

but I think I'll just keep going with this just now! 

I have just finished Maybelline The Colossal

and have got to say I much prefer this! 

It will definitely be a repurchase.

What's your favourite mascara at the moment?

I think I'll be purchasing Benefit They're Real soon as I've heard great things 

Jen <3 

TGI Friday Instagram Launch Party

So on Thursday night I was invited along to TGI Fridays in Glasgow 

for a little party to celebrate them launching their new instagram @TGIFridaysUK

and also a new range of their delicious cocktails!

Normally I would be thrilled to be invited to an event that involved alcohol! 

(not that im a drunk...) 

This month however my inner philanthropist has came out and I am participating in Sober October for Macmillan. So really this event couldn't have came at a worse time! 

I tweeted TGI beforehand to explain my predicament and they assured me that their lovely bartenders could mix me up some delicious mocktails or smoothies! which was really nice of them! 

I arranged to meet up with the lovely Melissa from Stylish Kids

for dinner before the event 

we went to Zizi's in Royal Exchange Square 

I've not been to this branch before and I was seriously impressed 

image from Zizi website 

It's in such a beautiful building 

and I was greeted with the worlds biggest pizza which was sooo good! 

I also noticed some 'skinny pizzas' on the menu if you are watching the lbs

which clearly I wasnt...

When we arrived at TGIs we were given our pick of some delicious drinks

I had the non alcoholic Strawberry Fields which tasted like a daiquiri 

and Melissa had a drink with Vodka and Amaretto which looked really lovely 

Us bloggers were sectioned off in our own little area to enjoy the fun activities that had been laid on 

There were some amazingly talented artists there, showcasing their talented with some cocktail themed masterpieces 

We could have a go at being artistic ourselves by painting our own shopping bags 

Mine was actually embarrassingly bad so I won't share it with you! 

You could also have your nails painted 

However mine were in such a shocking state that I couldn't bring myself to go over and get them done 

(Bad beauty blogger!!)

I had such a fab night and got to catch up with some lovely bloggy friends that I hadn't seen in such a long time! 

This little collage was on the TGI Facebook

Do you recognise any bloggers you know?

What's your favourite TGI cocktail?

I think mine would have to be the Pornstar Martini!! 

Jen xx

FOTD - The Halloween Edition - Sugar Skull

So if you follow me on Instagram you may have seen I posted this pic last night! 

(If you don't follow me and want to my username is @biggins89)

I decided to have a bit of fun with some facepaint! 

as you do on a Saturday night...

Sugar skulls seem to be everywhere right now 

They are actually associated with a Mexican holiday to celebrate the lives of friends and family that have passed away, but due to the intricate designs and bright colours they have become a popular costume idea!

You can have so much fun with these 

Using whichever colours you want and coming up with different designs 

You can also add glitter or jewels to make the design even more elaborate.

As you can see I went for a pink theme for mine and here's what I used and how I acheived this look 

As a base I used 

White Face paint - Snazaroo 

I applied it with a stippling brush and as it is quite thick I only needed one layer. Go over this with a white or translucent face powder to ensure it lasts all night.

For all the black areas around the eyes, on the nose, and to create the teeth and cobwebs, I used

Collection Lasting Colour Gel Eyeliner

I applied this with a really thin eyeshadow brush

You could also use black face paint to achieve this look but I think the eyeliner would have far better staying power if you are on a night out! 

For the petal details around the eyes and the hearts on the chin I used

MUA Lipstick in Shade 3

This is a really bright pink lipstick, I applied it using a lip brush for these areas 

but I then put some on my cheek bones and temples to create some contouring.

My pink bow is from American Apparel 

but I think this would look really great with one of the flowery crowns that were at all the festivals this year! 

It would also look really good with a coloured wig! 

I hope you liked this look! 

Let me know if you would like to see some other posts like this in the run up to Halloween!

What are you all dressing up as this year?

Jen <3

Baby B Browne, Self Tanning Lotion: Review

My name is Jennifer and I'm a fake tan addict! 

seriously nothing makes me feel happier healthier or skinnier than a bronzed glow on my skin

Every Thursday night I go through my little fake tan ritual 

Although it's a hassle at the time it's worth it in the morning.

Baby B Browne is a new fake tan to me. It was developed in 2011 by an Irish company 

They wanted to make a natural looking fake tan which didn't have that horrible biscuity smell we all know and love...

What they say:

The Baby B. Browne range is designed to react with your individual skin pigment to create a natural looking colour that is specific to you. All products comes with a guide colour for an easy and streak-free application, dry quickly and create an instantly natural looking and long lasting tan. Our self-tanning lotion is infused with vanilla extracts to create a deliciously fresh fragrance whilst our professional spray tan solutions are fragrance free; with Baby B. Browne products the dreaded self-tan smell is eliminated.

What I say:

First of all I like the packaging, clean and simple. 

I also like the fact that the pump swivels and locks rather than having a lid

I have a habit of losing lids and the product ends up all over my drawer so the fact that this locks is great!

I used a mitt to apply the tan and the guide colour helped as it's much easier to prevent streaking.

I left the tan to develop overnight, although the instructions do say that you can wash it off after 4-8 hours.

Now I can't believe I am actually about to say this but Baby B Browne 

DOESN'T SMELL LIKE FAKE TAN!!!

It actually has a pleasant smell! I didn't think it was possible.

This is definitely a major selling point for me because I really do despise the normal fake tan smell.

One thing I will say is it doesn't dry extremely quickly

but I only ever put fake tan on when I'm not thinking about leaving the house

so it's not a big problem, I just had to wait a little while before putting clothes on.

When I showered it off in the morning I was left with a really nice natural colour 

It's not too dark just a natural glow. 

The directions also state that if you want a deeper colour re-apply after 12-24 hours.

I applied the lotion on Thursday, It's now Monday and I'm still really happy with the colour 

So I think one application is enough for me.

Verdict:

I really liked this tan 

I am a big fan of the colour and an even bigger fan of the smell!

I was also completely streak free which is always a bonus 

Baby B Browne is £14.95 for 250ml

and is available HERE

What's your favourite fake tan?

Or do you prefer the pale and interesting look?

Jen <3