Alex Gooch Bakery in Pontcanna, Cardiff

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A few weeks ago, we went to Kings Road Yard to try The Lazy Leek (which you can read on my post here). Further down the lane is Alex Gooch Bakery.

Alex Gooch is an artisan baker who specialises in breads and pastries. In the shop, you can buy these breads, but you can also buy pizza by the slice or whole.

Tom ordered a pesto drizzled pizza at £10.50 and received ticket number 71.

My brother ordered a slice of kimchi pizza at £3 and received ticket number 72.

There was a bit of a wait for food at 7pm on a Saturday which is to be expected. We were sat fairly close to the store at a table and waited patiently for our food to come whilst also on the lookout.

Tom’s came out first with a young girl asking for order 71. We acted quickly and got his pizza in return for the ticket. With my brother at order 72, we were expecting it to come out shortly after. It turned out it arrived quite a while later!

I only had a bite of Tom’s pesto pizza but it was thoroughly enjoyable. The base was incredible and the drizzle of pesto really made it. The cheese was melted beautifully too.

The only criticism of the pizza that Tom had was that there were a few slices that were a little salty and the pizza had quite a bit of oil on it. It probably didn’t help that it was drizzled in all that delicious pesto!

My brother enjoyed his kimchi pizza and said he could really taste the kimchi. He did have to wait quite a while longer for his slice and he said it was a little colder than he’d have liked.

Pop down to Kings Road Yard in Pontcanna to see what else is on offer and try a delicious vegan pizza for yourself!

Cobbles Kitchen in Ogmore-by-Sea, Bridgend

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On the main road headed down to Ogmore beach, just before The Watermill pub, is a little cafe called Cobbles Kitchen. Cobbles Kitchen is only a small establishment but have so many food options to cater for various different dietary requirements.

A few weeks ago, my brother and sister came to visit and we went to Cobbles for brunch. My sister is making a conscious effort to cut out meat and has many vegan days. We ordered the vegan breakfast and my brother ordered the breakfast burrito. I also ordered a soy latte to accompany my breakfast.

Soy Latte

My latte was fine. The coffee was a little more bitter than I’d like and the foam at the top was unusual and very thick, not what I expected. I didn’t actually finish my coffee and instead moved onto water.

Vegan Breakfast

Breakfast consisted of 2 sausages, mushrooms, baked beans, a grilled tomato, avocado, tofu scramble, a homemade potato hash and a slice of toast. I’ve had the cobbles breakfast before, but on this occasion, it was the best I’d had.

The toast was delicious and crisp. The avocado was perfectly ripe and the tofu scramble was flavourful. The potato hash was my favourite part. When I’d had breakfast on previous occasions, it had been soggy, but this time round it was cooked well and retained it’s structure.

My brother said his breakfast burrito was ok, but on the tomato-ey side. He still enjoyed it all the same.

Cobbles Kitchen has so many options so it’s a great location to bring omni friends and family. And of course, only being down the road from Ogmore beach is great too and ideal for a day trip.

Birkenstock: Vegan Arizona

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I’m an avid online shopper and whilst browsing ASOS a few months, I noticed that there was a vegan Birkenstock on their website!

What does this mean you may ask? Shoes aren’t vegan?

Well yes, some are. Leather and other animal products aside, the glues used in making shoes are often not vegan either so it’s something people will need to be mindful of.

Moving on… After finding this vegan Birkenstock on ASOS, I did a bit of digging and found that Birkenstock have an entire vegan, leather free range of their shoes (and in various colours!). Here is the link to the vegan product page on their website for those of you that are interested.

I added it to my ASOS saved list and was biding my time before I bought the sandals. Then one day, I happened to be looking through my saved list and noticed that the sandals had gone down from £60 to £48! I jumped on the opportunity and bought them.

Vegan Arizona Birkenstocks in Stone

My sister already had a pair of Birkenstocks and recommend that I buy them. She also recommended that I up-size so instead of a UK size 5, I purchased a UK size 6.

The shoes were clearly labelled vegan which was nice to see. The classic style was ever present and arrived in a streamlined box. I was excited to put them on!

The buckles allow the shoes to be tightened to fit your feet as comfortably as you’d like them. I originally had them a little looser and found them a little more difficult to walk in as my foot was sliding a lot. I’ve tightened them since!

They are the comfiest sandals that I have ever worn. The base is elevated at certain parts to mimic the contours of the foot. I actually have very flat feet and these contours are still very comfortable and I think improve my foot positioning.

I know they’re expensive, but I think they’re worth it. They’re a very comfortable Summer shoe and the style is so well known and popular that I don’t see them going out of style any time soon.

Have a browse on their website and see what’s there! You might find a style and colour that you love!

Function of Beauty

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I’d finally reach the end of my Maria Nila shampoo and conditioner bottles so it was time to re-evaluate my hair care.

My friend Emily recommended Function of Beauty to me. I’d seen adverts on Facebook before and found the whole thing very intriguing so I took the plunge and ordered some.

Ordering Process

The whole process was very easy. You take the hair quiz by selecting your hair type, the things that you care most or want to achieve from your hair, i.e. ‘Hair Goals’ and I chose the following:

  • Fix split ends
  • Colour protection
  • Oil control
  • Soothe scalp
  • Anti-frizz

You then also choose the colour and fragrance you want your product to be which was really cool. I went for peach and orange and yellow. When you’ve finally finished and signed up, you can submit your order and there are various options with size and subscriptions! I went for the largest one based on all the positive reviews I’d heard.

You can subscribe 3 monthly, 6 monthly and yearly. If you’re not willing to commit quite yet, there is an option to buy it as a one-off which gives you the opportunity to try it first. I decided to opt for a 6-monthly subscription which meant free delivery and a small discount for my first order. I think that was a Summer offer.

I submitted my order and I was given an ETA of 2nd September. You can pay to have it sooner but I didn’t mind waiting.

They give you plenty of updates through the process and let you know when your hair products are being developed and then when they’re dispatched also.

The Finished Product

My shampoo and conditioner arrived earlier than I expected. It arrived via Yodel on the 28th August which was almost a week earlier than stated.

It arrived beautifully packaged in recycled cardboard. My one gripe was that this was also covered in plastic wrap which I felt wasn’t really necessary.

My orange and yellow peach smelling shampoo and conditioner came with pumps and smelt amazing. I could smell them as soon as I opened the box. It also came with a little card to remind me what I selected on ordering and lots of stickers!

I used my new Function of Beauty products the following day and was very impressed. The shampoo lathered really well and smelt incredible. It’s left my hair is feeling luscious and always smelling amazing. I think I’ve definitely seen an improvement in my hair with less frizz and my scalp is less dry and itchy. I’m not sure on any oil control yet though but I’ve only been using it for a week!

Function of Beauty is cruelty-free and vegan, as well as producing paraben and sulphate free hair care. Here‘s a little blog post they’ve written about why they are vegan and cruelty free.

So far, I’m loving my new shampoo and conditioner and I would absolute recommend them to everyone. It is quite expensive but the customisability is a big selling point and as I mentioned above, I am definitely seeing improvements already!

Castellamare Cafe in Mumbles, Swansea

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Castellamare is located right on Bracelet Bay in the Mumbles in Swansea. For those of you who aren’t familiar with the beautiful area of Swansea, South Wales, you’re truly missing out.

Swansea is a truly beautiful part of Britain and the world. There are stunning views across the bay and to the ocean, and the Welsh are well known for their hospitality. Wales is a gem and I highly recommend every visit.

View from Castellamare

Anyway, moving back onto Castellamare. Even though I don’t live in Swansea, I’m a member of the Swansea Vegans Facebook page due to my proximity to the city. I found on the group the the cafe started offering vegan cheese for their pizzas!

Castellamare is made up of a restaurant and a cafe, but on this occasion we went to the cafe. I wasn’t 100% confident that the restaurant offered the same menu.

We perused the menu and there were lots of vegetables on offer. Tom ordered a vegan version of their vegetarian pizza which had lots of roasted vegetables. I ordered a vegan pizza and added mushrooms, spinach and olives. We also added a side of chips. I did ask what vegan cheese was used but the staff member wasn’t sure but she could confirm it was vegan which was good enough for me!

The pizza was lovely! For the 2 pizzas, 2 sides of chips and 2 drinks, it came to around £38 which is fairly reasonable. The pizza was a great size and the chips were lovely too. The cheese was lovely and creamy but you could tell it was different to the normal cheese they used.

There are many other vegan options in Swansea if you’re out and about. HappyCow will give you plenty of ideas! I would say, if you’re in the area then I recommend a visit, but I actually recommend you come and visit Swansea and then come here and also Boo’s Kitchen (which I’ve written about here) for your vegan food!

The Lazy Leek in Pontcanna, Cardiff

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Tucked away in the nook of Cardiff in Pontcanna is The Lazy Leek. We needed to come into Cardiff to run some errands on a Saturday evening and thought we’d pop down for some dinner.

We drove down and spent a fair while looking for parking. A lot of the area is permit parking only so be wary if you’re driving. We finally found somewhere to park and walked over to King’s Road Yard where a little street food area had been set up.

The Lazy Leek is on your right and you walk down the lane and is very clearly sign posted. Their menus are emblazoned on the wall on their chalk boards with various burgers and sides.

I’ve included images of the menus below for your perusal! I’m sure they’re available on their website as well. There are drinks available too! Don’t forget that everything here is vegan so you don’t need to worry about whether your food is cruelty free, because it will be!

I ordered a portion of Cauli Wings and Dirty Fries. My sister and brother both ordered a King Katsu burger each.

  • Loaded Fries
  • Cauli Wings

The portion size of the loaded fries was more than I expected. At £6, I thought it was very reasonably priced. The Cauli Wings came in at £4.50 which is quite pricey, especially with only 6 pieces, but there were delicious too.

The King Katsu Burger

Apologies for the average picture of the King Katsu burger! I can’t comment on it personally but my brother and sister enjoyed their burgers and it did look very appetising. At £8 a pop, they’re a little bit on the expensive side for take out burger but with the options and the size, it’s worth a try.

I highly recommend a visit to The Lazy Leek for those of your who haven’t already been. It’s all worth a try and I really enjoyed my loaded fries and cauli wings. I may not be making another visit straight away, but I’ll definitely be headed back in the near future!

My Top Vegan Skincare Picks

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Our skin is the largest organ of our bodies so it’s important to take good care of it.

My skin is generally quite good. I’m not particularly acne prone, but I do have an incredibly oily T-zone. My skin tone is quite patchy and red so does need to be evened out.

Skin is unique to everyone as we all have different skin types and quirks. These are products that I use and love, but they might not necessarily be great for you. But always continue the hunt for the perfect skincare!

Lush Jade Roller Naked Cleansing Balm

‘Naked’ products are all the rage these days. They give you your favourite products without the unnecessary packaging! The Jade Roller cleansing balm is exactly that.

I bought this product in May and have been using it for the last few weeks and it is absolutely lovely. I only bought a mini version, but more recently they’ve released a larger version which I will definitely be purchasing in future.

The product smells amazing and is so easy to use. It’s quite melty so as soon as you start rubbing it over your face, it melts across the skin. I think massage it into my face, focusing on hard to clean areas like my eye make up. The cleansing balm lifts it all up with ease and I wash off with a Face Halo. My skin is always left feeling refreshed and soft.

Figs & Rouge Hydra-Pore Soft Focus Veil

In a previous blog post, which you can find here, I wrote about a one-off beauty box I bought from Cohorted. This box contained only items by Figs & Rouge which are a vegan, cruelty-free company. I actually love everything that I was given, but the Hydra-Pore Soft Focus Veil was my favourite.

I’ve essentially been using it as a primer underneath my make up. It does say to use it after cleansing and moisturising, but I kind of use it as a moisturiser.

My pores gets covered well every time and any foundation I use sits so beautifully on it. This includes both powder and liquid foundations. It’s not cakey and it’s not too thick. I much prefer it to silicone based primers, and it still feels soft and smooth on the skin.

Natura Sheet Masks

The first of these sheet masks that I had received was in The Cruelty Free Beauty Box before they revamped their options and I finally got round to using it in June. You can read my review of this on this post here.

Because I loved it so much, I ordered another one and it was just as good. Sheet masks aren’t for everyone but I love them. The Natura ones are great, easy to use and smell amazing.

The Rose Infused Sheet mask was absolutely lovely. The smell wasn’t too much and my skin felt amazing afterwards. I think I’ll try and make my way round the entire range, but each one has different skin benefits so make sure you read up.

LUE by Jean Seo: Clear

This one is coming to the end of it’s life so I’m going to have to buy a new one, but for the occasions where I can feel spots coming through (and even when they’re right there!), this skin treatment is amazing.

I apply it directly to the area affected, usually my chin, and it helps dry out the spot and reduce redness. It’s an absolute life saver! I fully recommend buying this one. I think it’s worth every penny.

Self Care Sundays: Issue 3

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Another Sunday, and another day to treat myself to a little pamper afternoon with a relaxing bath and a book!

I was a little bit rubbish this time and only used 1 new product! The face mask I used was the cupcake mask that I used previously which you can read about here.

Lush Bath Bomb: Love Boat

No bath is ever fully complete without a bath bomb or a bubble bar. A few months ago, I popped to Lush and treated myself to the Love Boat bath bomb. In fact, it was a Valentine’s day special…! That’s how long I’ve had it in my secret bath bomb stash.

The bath bomb floated surprisingly well and produced beautiful colours. The smell was fine and it wasn’t too glittery. It was a nice treat and produced quite a few bubbles for a bath bomb!

Lush produce such a varied range of products which include lots of vegan options. Please be careful as not everything is vegan so keep an eye out on the labels to make sure you pick up the vegan products!

Not everything will be to your taste, but there’s so many options that you’re bound to find something you love. I always go to Lush when I’m looking for options and a nice treat.

The Cruelty Free Beauty Box Deluxe [August 2019]

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The second edition of The Cruelty Free Beauty Box Deluxe has arrived and it is, again, another delight! You can read about the first edition in my previous post, here.

I’ve been waiting for my box as soon as the shipping e-mail was sent. It arrived last Friday and I couldn’t wait to open it.

Before the shipping, I ordered myself a Natura sheet mask as I loved the one I received in one of my previous boxes (read about it in this post). One great thing that The Cruelty Free Beauty Box offers is that you can order items on their website to be shipped with your beauty box. This saves on shipping costs and means more treats!

Under all the beautiful and protective, recyclable shredded paper was my sheet mask, so I was glad it made it into my box successfully. Then came the seed paper product lists. I was too excited to read through them so kept digging for the products. I came across all the beauty products first which included a facial bar, a skin scrub, a balm and a gel eyeliner.

Then I thought… wait, where are my lifestyle products?! What I hadn’t realised was that I hadn’t dug far enough into my box… My lifestyle treats included some sweets, a compact mirror and my favourite item… a tote bag with the infamous words…

Don’t worry. You’re just as sane as I am.

Luna Lovegood (Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling)

For readers of my blog, I went to the Warner Bros Studio Tours the week before this box landed on my doorstep so it felt like fate for this tote bag to be bestowed upon me! Especially when it was a quote from my fellow Ravenclaw, Luna Lovegood.

So the breakdown of this box:

The total worth of the box is £102.75, so for £39.95 it’s an absolute bargain. Everything is full size which is great, especially for the things that I like!

As much as samples are great for trying things, it’s a pain if I love it and I run out. Also, if there’s something I’m not a fan of, I can give it to someone else who may benefit more out of it and I won’t feel silly giving them a small sample size.

I have yet to use everything in my box, but the House of Wonderland Alice in Wonderland compact mirror is now a staple in my handbag, alongside the Luna Lovegood tote bag.

I have yet to be disappointed by The Cruelty Free Beauty Box so I recommend giving them a try. Don’t forget that the lifestyle box isn’t the only box available. There are smaller and cheaper boxes available with different items which you can find here.

Self Care Sundays: Issue 2

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Welcome to another issue of Self Care Sundays. I took a beat after a long week of work and treated myself to a relaxing bath and face mask.

Here are the products that I used this week:

Before moving onto the products, thrown into the picture above is my Spectrum Kind Cup which is cute and small; perfect for a cup of tea. It’s made of polypropylene which is also widely recyclable so when it’s worn down, it can be recycled!

Also, the best chocolate around, Nomo Chocolate. Available in Tesco stores, my favourite is fruit and nut but they have other flavours available too. Vegans out there who haven’t tried this chocolate yet really need to! You’d never know any different, it’s so good!

With those bits over, let’s move onto the skincare products…

Lush Face Mask: Cupcake

So, I’ve actually had this Cupcake face mask from Lush sat in my fridge for months. I hadn’t used it until last week but it still smelt amazing.

The mask was interesting. The smell was lovely, but I found the texture strange. It was easy enough to apply and wash off, but I didn’t feel like my skin was any better for it.

I don’t think this is something I’d recommend. Lush do have plenty more face masks so I’m sure I’ll be trying one of those in the future, but Cupcake won’t be one I’ll be buying again.

Lush Bath Bomb: Snow Fairy

As always, a bath bomb is necessary during one of my self-care sundays. I love a colourful bubble bath and the lovely smells.

This week was the Snow Fairy bath bomb which I believe is a Christmas special, and likely to have been hanging around in my secret stash for a while.

Snow Fairy has a gorgeous sweet smell to it, and I love a bright pink bubble bath. There isn’t much else going for it except for the gorgeous smell but that’s more than enough for me!

Maria Nila Head & Hair Heal Masque

Finally, I’m going to tell you about my favourite product this week which I’ll definitely be using regularly going forward.

In the first picture on this post is the Maria Nila Head and Hair Heal Masque. I actually received a full sized tub of this in a vegan Glossybox I ordered months and months ago. I’ve written about Maria Nila products before, you can find the post here.

This hair mask is absolutely incredible. It smelt truly amazing and was easy to put on. The texture was thick and creamy, and ran through my hair beautifully. I left it on for the recommended 10 minutes.

After I finished my bath and dried my hair, I was left with a gorgeous, frizz-free mane! My hair smelt incredible for days afterwards and it was left feeling the softest it’s ever been.

I highly recommend this product. It was nourishing and really did leave my hair and scalp feeling refreshed.