Beauty. Fashion. Lifestyle.
Posts tagged Sugar
Overnight Oats
2
7 years
by Naomi in Food
A few weeks ago I spotted a breakfast craze on Instagram of something called overnight oats. I’d never heard of them before, but they looked delicious and I couldn’t wait to give them a go. Overnight oats is basically just cold porridge, made overnight in the fridge. All you do is mix one part rolled oats, with one part liquid, sweeten it with whatever you choose, then leave it in the fridge overnight to do its thing. The oats absorb the liquid, and in the morning you’re left with plump, moist oats that are ready to eat without any cooking. You can then top it with whatever you want, and enjoy. My basic recipe for one person is half a cup of oats mixed with half a cup of semi-skimmed milk, but I’ve seen people use juice and nut milks too. Also, if you prefer your oats wetter or drier, you can add more or less liquid accordingly.
My favourite thing about overnight oats is how experimental you can get with them. I’ve had oats almost every day this week, but each bowl has had a different topping, which has stopped me getting bored of my breakfasts. They’re also really filling, and where I’d usually be feeling hungry by about 10:30am, I’ve been full until lunch, which for me is a big thing!
Here are a few of my favourite toppings so far…
Caramel Banana Crunch
Sweetened with: 1 teaspoon of sugar.
Topped with: Half a large banana, Lotus Caramel Biscuit spread, and granola.
Fruity Yoghurt and Blueberries
Sweetened with: 1 tablespoon of raspberry, cranberry, and blueberry yoghurt.
Topped with: Raspberry, cranberry, and blueberry yoghurt, and a handful of blueberries.
Choco Banana
Sweetened with: 1 teaspoon of cocoa powder.
Topped with: Half a large banana, and milk and white chocolate spread.
Strawberry Coconut Crunch
Sweetened with: Half a teaspoon of vanilla extract.
Topped with: Chopped strawberries, granola, and desiccated coconut.
I have quite a few toppings planned for future overnight oats too, including maple syrup and chopped pecan nuts, apple and cinnamon, and even Oreo biscuits and peanut butter. Definitely more interesting than Cornflakes!
Have you ever tried overnight oats? If so, I’d love to hear your recipe ideas!
Naomi x
Betty Buff’s Gunky Monkey Sugar Scrub!
1
I was recently lucky enough to win this 50ml sample pot of Betty Buff‘s Gunky Monkey Sugar Scrub via her Twitter giveaway, and was kindly gifted a few extra scrubs to try as well (which I’ll also be reviewing). Betty Buff specialises in creating all natural sugar scrubs and other body products for people with sensitive skin, and since I myself have sensitive skin, I couldn’t have been happier to try these scrubs out. Over the last couple of days I have been using Gunky Monkey, and since it is a new scrub made especially for men, my fiancé has tested it too 
The scrub I received is scented with ‘Lime & Ginger’, and smells absolutely lovely. What I adore about Betty Buff’s products is that they’re based on vintage, tried and tested recipes and contain no parabens or icky chemical fragrances, just simple ingredients which do the job just as well, if not better, than the scrubs you can buy in shops. The ingredients in Gunky Monkey are listed as: Sugar, Vegetable Oil, Evening Primrose Oil, Glycerin, Honey, Lime and Ginger – all good stuff! And it looks like this…
When using this, I decided to focus on exfoliating my upper arms, as it is there that I have small, stubborn dry patches that prove difficult to shift! I gently rubbed the scrub into my skin in a circular motion whilst in the shower, and then washed it off with warm water. I noticed that, because real lime is used in the product, as I rubbed the fruit popped and let out its natural oils so I was hit with bursts of the gorgeously zingy smell of lime. Unfortunately, the ginger scent wasn’t as obvious.
I have to say, I am amazed by just how good this product is. The honey works to really soften your skin without leaving any stickiness, and after just two uses I have already noticed a difference to my dry patches – they’re definitely not as rough as they were and the rest of my skin feels so smooth… I think Betty Buff’s sugar scrubs may be my new miracle product!
Now, I’ll admit, my other half was slightly sceptical about trying Gunky Monkey as he isn’t keen on body products that look or smell like puddings, but even he was pleasantly surprised. After his shower this morning I grilled him about what he thought, dreading that it’d be bad news, but he told me it was easy to use and washed off well, and he really loved the smell (although he did say it smelt like Iron after a while but I didn’t experience that!). And on top of that, he said it worked, and that his skin already felt smoother after using it once! Impressive huh? I think he may be a convert.
Oh, and I also love Betty Buff’s quirky labels, they’re so cute!
If you want to try Betty Buff’s Sugar Scrubs for yourself, you can buy them online here for £8 each. OR, if you hurry, all Betty Buff and Gunky Monkey Sugar Scrubs are 2 for 1 until tomorrow! Just enter the code listed on the home page
Which Sugar Scrub do you fancy?
Naomi x
Sugar Scrubs from Betty Buff
1Last week I was lucky enough to win a sample of Betty Buff‘s NEW Gunky Monkey Sugar Scrub via a Twitter giveaway, and I was eagerly awaiting its arrival. The parcel arrived yesterday morning and I was surprised by how generously sized the sample was, and that the lovely @A1Betty had also sent me two other products for FREE – thank you! These are the products I received…
From Left to Right:
- Strawberry Smash Sugar Scrub – 50ml
- Besty Zesty Sugar Scrub – 250ml (Full-size!!)
- Gunky Monkey Lime & Ginger Sugar Scrub – 50ml
I will be reviewing all three of these scrubs over the coming days and weeks, and I am so excited about trying them out. They all smell absolutely divine! Good enough to eat but unfortunately not edible haha. Gunky Monkey is Betty Buff’s first product especially for men, so I will be getting my lovely fiancé to try it out once I’ve sampled it, then he can let me (and all of you) know what he thinks of it.
If you fancy browsing Betty Buff’s fantastic range, you can do so here. Betty Buff specialises in making delicate products that are suitable for sensitive skin, so everything is free of all those crazy chemicals.
Naomi xx
Homemade Sugar Lip Scrub
6
10 years
After seeing little pots of Lip Scrub in Lush last month, I wanted to find out whether I could make my own. From what I could tell, the scrub was made of very simple ingredients, so after a bit of research and comparing several lip scrub recipes, I came up with this one. Lip scrubs are great for dry or chapped lips, and help to smooth them out so that lipstick or gloss applies nice and evenly. This recipe makes enough for one or two uses, but could easily be multiplied to make a more substantial batch of lip scrub! Storing it in the fridge would keep it fresh, with the added bonus of being cool on your lips when applying.
To create a simple lip scrub, you will need:
– 1/2 tsp of Sugar
– 1/4 tsp Olive Oil
– 1/4 tsp of Golden Syrup or Honey
Add the ingredients to a small glass or bowl and mix with a spoon or your finger until well combined. The scrub should have quite a gloopy consistency when ready, but if it’s too runny add more sugar, or add more oil if it’s too thick. This is what it should look like…
I’ll be the first to admit that the scrub really doesn’t look very appealing (you know what it looks like, so I won’t say it), but in the long run it really doesn’t matter! What matters is whether it works or not, and it does Once your scrub is ready, use your finger to apply a liberal amount of the scrub to your lips.
Leave the scrub on for one minute, and then massage it into your lips. Be careful not to rub too hard as you could make your lips worse – a gentle circular motion is all that is needed! Once you’ve done this, wash the scrub off thoroughly with warm water and apply your favourite lip balm straight away.
And voila! Your lips are now lovely and soft, and primed for make up application. I hope you find this useful! I’d recommend only using a lip scrub if you need it, as the coarse sugar could make healthy lips sore if used too often.
Have you ever tried a lip scrub?
Naomi x
