Monday, April 23, 2018

Friction Free Shaving - Rose Shaviour

Gold Shaviour

Scrub

Razor

Friction Free Shaving

Rose Gold Razor

Over the last few months I've been testing out the Rose Gold Shaviour from Friction Free Shaving. I was lucky enough to attend their Birmingham cocktail making event and got to know the team and the products and was very excited to try the razor asap!

Friction Free Shaving was born and bread in Cannock, not far from Birmingham. The premise behind the brand is to make shaving easy and effective. The subscription element of the product ensures that you never have to go months with rusty razors because you're constantly forgetting to buy new razor heads.

I was generously gifted a Rose Shaviour Gift Set, which can be bought for £32. This comes with 4 blade heads, the razor handle, exfoliator, shaving cream, post shave lotion and a little holder for the razor. Considering how much that would cost to buy each product individually, I think £32 is a pretty good price for all of that. Although I'm supposed to change the razor head every week, I've been using the same once since January and there are no signs of rusting!

You can buy the razor handle separately and subscribe for £9 for the Rose Shaviour and 4 blades (which also comes in an equally pretty silver colour - Silvia) or there is the Frankie for £5 a month. You can engrave your Shaviour with your name, a nice touch, and then chose your add-on product (either the exfoliator, shaving cream or post shave lotion) for an extra £6. The blades are then £9 per month for the Rose and Silvia or £5 for the Frankie, and an additional £6 for the add-on products which can be swapped if you so wish. Although a generally hairy gal, I shave my body max once a week, so getting new razor blades every month once a month would be a bit much for me. Thankfully, you can be very flexible with your orders and pause the subscription whenever you want!

I absolutely love my Rose Shaviour. I love the metal handle, which makes for a much more pleasant shaving experience. The metal doesn't rust or go grimy like your average razor and my blades haven't gone rusty as of yet! The quality definitely surpasses your average high-street razor, whether that be your disposables or the ones with replaceable blades. The colour is obviously very beautiful and definitely fits in with the blog's aesthetic!

The razor itself works like a dream, especially with the shave cream. There are no FFS moments with the Shaviours, as they don't cut you! I have had zero cuts, even on the back of my ankles, and I have had many of those over the years. The 6 blades have a vitamin E strip to help with the smooth sailing shaving experience. You can use your Shaviour on all parts of your body.

The Pre Shave Scrub is lush. It comes out quite thick and sort of foams up? Hard to explain but extremely satisfying to use. It smells amazeballs, a really nice light fresh honey smell with a hint of coconut. Essentially smells like holiday. It's gentle on the skin and the beads wash off easily, leaving your skin feeling soft before the main event.

Next comes the Shave Cream. This is essentially a moisturising type of cream and it is definitely the best shaving product I've ever used. Every other shaving cream I've ever used is horrid and I've just been using shampoo or conditioner to shave my body for the last however many years of my life. A little goes a long way with the shaving cream. It's super moisturising and the hair comes off like a breeze with it.

I have to admit, I'm a little bit useless at using the post shave balm but when I do, my leggos are very soft. The balm's texture is what you expect and has the same smell as the shaving cream and scrub. It goes on nicely and it sinks into the skin quickly so you're not flapping about unable to put on clothes afterwards.

All in all, I absolutely love my Shaviour. The handle is a dream and the products are definitely the best shaving products I've used before. If you're someone who wants to take better care of your skin and shave regularly, I couldn't recommend this product enough. The gift set is definitely a great present for a loved one and is definitely worth the money you pay for it.

Have you ever used Friction Free Shaving? What are your favourite shaving products?

Thank you for reading! 

Love, Gweni xxx

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This post contains PR samples but all opinions are my own.

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Thursday, February 01, 2018

So Shape 14 Day Challenge

Weight loss

Meal replacement

so shap

Meal replacement

Lose weight in two weeks


Over the last two weeks I have been trying out the So Shape meal replacements and taking part in the 2 week challenge, and guess what! I lost weight!

The concept behind the French company's shakes are pretty simple, you just replace one of your daily meals with a shake! I'm a big fan of having a shake in the morning, so I found this quite easy. I just took in a shake into work with me and had it at my desk in the morning.

The Smart Meal shakes are purposely designed so that they are a well rounded meal. They have all of the goodness from vegetables, including the vitamins and the fibre without the extra calories. They're low in sugar and fat but high in protein. They're low in calories but they intend to keep you full for longer. They're also vegetarian! 

So Shape recommend that for the 14 day challenge you have a shake in the morning, whatever you want (within reason) for lunch and then a smart meal in the evening. They recommend that this smart meal is protein heavy with plenty of vegetables. You get to chose six different flavours and you get 30 shakes, a shaker and a little booklet that explains everything about the shakes and a healthy, balanced diet.

The Smart Meal shakes come in a variety of different flavours, some of which are intended to be warm and others cold. I tried out chocolate, brownie, vanilla and white chocolate, mint chocolate chip, cookies and cream and hazelnut. All of them were really delicious, but I do have to admit that mint chocolate chip and cookies and cream reserve a special place in my heart. The cookies and cream may as well just be an oreo milkshake and the mint chocolate chip shake tastes just like the ice cream! The others taste like the milkshake version of themselves. I have found that they're actually really nice and you don't feel like you're missing out on having a meal. 

Do they keep you full? Yes! Well, for about 4 hours. I usually have mine around 9am and it does keep me going until lunchtime. Don't get me wrong, I am hungry when 1pm comes around but no more than if I had had a normal breakfast. If anything, they probably do keep me fuller for longer than cereal! 

The best part about having shakes is that they're so handy and transportable. I personally would rather get in to work earlier and have breakfast there than waste 15 minutes in the morning eating. I used a protein shaker as well as the So Shape shaker and they both fit nicely into bag. I would pop the powder, which comes in a handy little packet, into the shaker and then fill it up with the work's water dispenser. The So Shape shaker does double up as a water bottle that you can infuse with fruit. 

As for losing weight, I would have to say that there is no point doing this challenge if you're not going to eat properly, drink alcohol and not do any exercise. I tried to do this challenge in December and it flopped, I didn't put on weight but I certainly didn't lose any weight. But, in January - I smashed it!

before after 2 weeks

I lost a total of 3 pounds in two weeks - which is definitely not bad at all! I went from 8 stone 13 down to 8 stone 7, as you can see from the photos of my scales. I feel much lighter, my stomach feels thinner and I just generally feel healthier. I do have to point out that I worked out six times in this time period. They were only 20 minute workouts, 3 times a week but still! I'm sure they would make a bit of a difference. 

For my other meals I had chicken rice and veg for lunch one week and healthy bolognese the other week. I then had fish rice and veg for dinner every night. I know it sounds boring and that is because it is incredibly boring. But I know they're healthy and easy to make! I did find the cravings for chocolate a little difficult, so I did have a couple of hot chocolates to try and stave them off. Peppermint and liquorice tea was also used as a substitute. Giving up sugar is hard!

The 14 day challenge is £89 (without my code) but you actually get 30 shakes with this. So although it is technically a 14 day challenge, you get 30 days' worth of breakfast! It works out to be £2.96 per shake, which isn't really that bad for one of your meals a day that actually helps you lose weight. If you're looking for a way to lose weight relatively quickly but in a healthy way - I would definitely recommend trying out the So Shape shakes!

You can get 10% off the 14 or 28 day challenge at So Shape with GBEAUTY10.

Thank you for reading! Have you ever tried the So Shape shakes before?

Love, Gweni xxx


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This post is sponsored but all opinions and weight loss figures are my own.

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Thursday, January 25, 2018

Valentine's Day Gift Guide For Men



With Valentine's Day just around the corner and Christmas just passed, I thought I would share with you with some gift ideas in case your ideas may have dried up after the Christmas period!

Aftershave is always a hit and if your bae has been particularly good to you, Clive Christian has beautiful gift sets for men which includes three of their classic masculine fragrances. Clive Christian's rich heritage stems back to as late as Queen Victoria. The company only uses the best and precious ingredients, such as ylang-ylang and clary sage. The bottles are absolutely beautiful, very intricate and would look lovely in any fragrance collection. I particularly love the gold crown stopper, which the design of which was granted by Queen Victoria herself because she loved the fragrances herself.

Speaking of fragrances, who doesn't love the smell of coffee in the morning? I recently bought bae a Tassimo machine and he loves it! There are many different coffee gifts that you can get, such as an mocha pot, mugs, speciality coffees or even biscuit tins to go with your coffee! Evidently, if you're other half is a tea drinker then there are plenty of tea products to chose from!

Music and books are always a really great present, and often quite personal but also purse friendly. You can look at their spotify or their bookshelf for inspiration if you're not quite sure on what their tastes are in. If your other half has a record player, you're in for a winner! I always think records are a really lovely gift. 

Clothes, especially comfy clothes are always a win. I've seen some lovely Calvin Klein, Ralph Lauren and Hugo Boss jogging bottoms but you obviously don't have to spend that much money! Department stores like Debenhams and John Lewis always have lovely pieces and even Tesco has a good collection. 

And if you don't want to break the bank but want to buy something small but still nice - you just cannot go wrong with chocolate. There are a thousand different chocolate selections that you can choose from, and I can bet you that they will be right at the front of the supermarket for the next few weeks! 

I hope that helps a little when looking for big or small Valentine's day presents this year! I would love to hear what your ideas are for your other half or yourself this year! Thank you for reading.

Love, Gweni xxx


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This post is sponsored but all opinions are my own.

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Wednesday, January 17, 2018

Favourite Beauty Tools

Beauty tools

Eyelash curlers

Lash tweezers


Aside from makeup brushes, I wanted to share with you some of my other makeup tools that I wouldn't be able to live without!  


I honestly have not got a clue how I was putting on false lashes before I started using these! My fingers feel so clumsy and fat in comparison and you cant really see where you're putting the falsies when your fingers are in the way. These tweezers from Nouveau Lashes are hands down my favourite tool. The fine point of the tweezers means that it's really easy to pick up the lashes and you can be very specific with where you're putting the lashes. They're very lightweight and easy to use. Could not recommend them enough!

Lash Curlers

This isn't one I use often (#trichotillomaniaproblems) but when I do have lashes I love using lash curlers! I usually use them before mascara and after the second layer. I find it helps hold the curl and makes your lashes look longer and your eyes look bigger. Definitely a staple in any collection.


This is a bit of a weird one, but they come in handy so often! They're great for cutting your nails/toenails (grim, but still) but I also find them really good for trimming my eyebrows. Since growing them all back, they've decided to be ridiculously bushy but also grow in a couple of awkward directions. So my scissors really are a life saver, I usually end up trimming them once a week!


Probably an obvious one, but probably one of the most tools to have. Clearly, to get the most use out of your pencil products - you need to sharpen them. But I also like to sharpen my lip pencils pretty much every time I use them, I find it is much easier to use a sharpened pencil and looks cleaner on the lip!


This is not technically anything anyone needs, you can definitely wash your brushes just as well without one. But as I have probably around 100 brushes now (don't judge), washing brushes can be a pretty long and tedious experience that dries out your hands. Having a brush cleaner really helps my hands not prune up! They're also pretty satisfying to use.


This is something that I have written about previously, and I am still very much in love with it. I love being able to wipe excess eye shadow off my brushes whilst transitioning between colours. I cannot begin to explain to you how clean my dressing gown is now! As someone who really enjoys doing eye shadow, this tool really is such a great addition to my makeup stash.

Thank you for reading! What are your favourite beauty tools?

Love, Gweni xxx 

Don't forget to keep in touch!


This post contains PR products but all opinions are my own. 
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Friday, January 05, 2018

Should I quit blogging?


Since starting full time work in September, I have found it quite difficult to keep up my blogging game. Between working 50 hour weeks, fitting in exercise, washing, cleaning, cooking, social life, family life and seeing my boyfriend (who lives two hours away) - I don't seem to have much time left in the week. And even if I do have time left, the last thing I want to is sit at my laptop and write out a blogpost. 

I am also one of those people who needs a couple of hours to sit down with my laptop to write. I am not really one to just bash out a blogpost when I have 10 minutes spare. Perhaps if I did commute to work every day, I would find it a little easier to keep up the blogging, because I know I would want to use that dead time wisely. But unfortunately I spend an hour-ish a day walking to work instead! (No complaints from me though, it is definitely helping me keep off the desk weight). And even if I did find time to write in the day, I still have to put aside whole evenings to take photos. 

I really love blogging when I have time, but when I don't - it just feels like a chore. It stresses me out, I feel as though I should be blogging in any spare minute that I have - even though I know that's not possible. The fact that I haven't been posting regularly really grates on me and it's always in the back of my mind. It is a little exhausting to be honest. Obviously I know that I don't *have* to blog, but it's my baby! I've been blogging for three years now, why would I want that hard work to go to waste? 

So what am I going to do? Should I quit?

It's quite obvious that I can't keep up getting one to two posts out a week, it is just not sustainable. But I just can't give up blogging yet. I do genuinely enjoy blogging when I have time. I love going to events and meeting likeminded people, trying out products and writing my opinions and of course spreading awareness about trichotillomania. So no, I am not going to quit. 

Although it irritates the living hell out of me, I think I am going to have to accept that I am just going to post as and when I can. It kills me knowing that I won't have a regular routine and it's going to look really messy on the website, but I just don't think I have much of a choice. I want to keep it up and I guess this is the only way!

Secondly, I am not going to offer any more blogposts up in sole exchange for PR products. If a brand is willing to pay and the content fits, then I am up for doing that - otherwise it is just a waste of time. Most of the time the brand doesn't retweet or regram me and I just can't be bothered for that in my life anymore. So moving forward, I will continue to accept products in exchange for a photo on Instagram - if I actually want it - but there will be no more of that on the actual blog. 

Thirdly, I am just going to try and put less pressure on myself. I am going to change my mindset back to when I just blogged for fun. No more of feeling like I "need" to get a blogpost out for a brand, or for the sake of keeping the blog updated. There will be much more genuine excitement for writing and sharing my opinions with the interwebs. I no longer want blogging to feel like a chore. 

Moving forward, there will probably be less posts on the blog and they will be a little sporadic. But I will aim to keep up my Instagram, as it is a little less time consuming. Thanks for bearing with me and sorry for the clickbait name!

Love, Gweni xxx 

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