Is This Chocolate Spread Worth The Hype? | Lindt Hazelnut Cream

Hey everyone!

Welcome to a brand new blog post! Today, I thought that I would talk to you all about the new Lindt Chocolate Spread that has coating itself all over the internet lately.

The use of real Lindt chocolate, combined with hazelnut enables you to, create a delightful dessert or snack with a full and intense flavour. The preparation method that has been fine-tuned by the Lindt MaÎtres Chocolatiers to give rise a perfectly smooth mixture which retains the full chocolate aroma.

If you haven't heard about the Lindt Hazelnut Cream, then where have you been living for the past month? Under a rock? Lindt are known most for their decadent Lindor Truffles, and, infamous Gold Characters, such as the Reindeer and Bunny. Lindt have now decided to step up the Chocolate game by bringing out its own Spread/Cream. This luxurious cream has been making its own waves on Social Media over the past month, as, everywhere has been oohing and ahhing over the idea of a Lindt Hazelnut Spread. If you love Nutella, or, Chocolate Spread in general, then you will probably love this.

I picked up a tub of this dark beauty when I went to York Designer Outlet earlier in the week with Luke. Even though myself and Lactose don't get along well, I do love a good bit of Lindt Chocolate from time to time, and I used to have Nutella by the bucket load when I got along with Lactose, so I knew that i had to try it as soon as possible.

The weight of the product is 200g, and, the price of the product is £5.99, which is a bit expensive, but you're purchasing it for the fact that it's from Lindt and that it's quality over quantity. The ingredient list consists of: Piedmont hazelnuts (40%), sugar, low-fat cocoa, skimmed milk powder, cocoa butter, emulsifier (soya lecithin), Bourbon vanilla natural extract. As you can see, there isn't a lot of ingredients so you're definitely paying for the quality. There's also Cocoa Powder and Cocoa Butter in there, therefore, you know that it will taste very Chocolatey. It also contains Bourbon Vanilla which isn't the cheapest of ingredients, thus, showing where a good bit of your money when purchasing it is going.

Lets get on to the best bit, the taste! When you open the jar, you instantly get the taste of that infamous Lindt Milk Chocolate taste that is known via the Milk (Red) Lindt Lindor's. The spread is thick but smooth and creamy. You cant really tell that there is splintered pieces of Hazelnut within the product until you get some in your teeth, but, you do get the nutty taste of Hazelnuts straight after the Milk Chocolate taste. I didn't really get a massive hit of Vanilla from the Spread/Cream but I think that, personally, the Vanilla helped to take a bit of bitterness away from the Nuts. It is pretty sweet though, so a little goes a very very long way. (This is coming from me, who loves to eat sweet things, so you know it's pretty rich.) One thing about the texture that I would probably tell you all, is to ensure to keep it in the cupboard, as a very cold temperature aka the fridge, kind of hardens the whole jar up quite a bit.

Is the Lindt Hazelnut Cream worth hunting down? Yes, definitely! Even if you're not wanting to use it as a Breakfast Spread, I'd get it for those moments where you really want to treat yourself. Is it worth the price? I think it is. A little goes a long way and you're paying for the taste not the amount. Is it better than Nutella? It kind of is, but i think that Nutella is a sort of weekday person whereas Lindt is a 'spending the Weekend in a luxurious bar drinking some Prosecco' kind of person.

I'm very tempted to try and put the spread into some recipes, so, if you've got any suggestions. Let me know down below!

Check out Lindt here to find out more.

Thanks for reading! 
Jamie x 

My Favourite 5 Eyeshadow Palettes Of The Summer

Hey everybody! 

Welcome to a brand new post! As you can tell by the title, this post is going to be all about my top five Eyeshadows of the Summer, so if you want to find out more, then keep reading.

The beauty and makeup world is thriving at the minute, whether it's brands coming out with items that are completely changing the game, or influencers creating palettes with brands. Everyone loves to wear makeup within the Summer, but, with things such as heatwaves, pools, and refreshingly cold cocktails, a lot of us don't want to be putting a lot onto our skin, or even, when we do, we want it to be bright and reflective of the hot glistening Summers that we all know and love. That's why i thought today, I would tell you five of my favourite eyeshadow palettes for the Summer. Some are bright, some are a bit muted, but all, are amazing and beautiful to wear no matter the weather. i know that a lot of the public, including myself, wear glasses and this may put us off wanting to wear bold and bright eyeshadow, but I say, screw it. If it makes you happy, even if only you can see it then do it! Enough rambling, let's get on with the palettes!

DISCLAIMER: i have only swatched these palettes so my thoughts are going off that and the research of reviews from both small, and, big YouTubers and reviews from the sites that these products are from. I have also included looks when i can to help anyone out when needed. This post is not sponsored, or, paid for in any way, shape or form. I just thought it would be a fun post to create.

Jeffree Star Cosmetics - Thirsty 

I mean this has become the epitome of Summer Palette 2018. I'm pretty sure if you google the words 'Summer Palette 2018' then this will be your top search. The Thirsty Palette's outer bright packaging instantly makes you want to be laid on a beach with a cocktail just from it being so bright and aqua based. With all of Jeffree's products, they're Vegan and Cruelty Free. Some of the shades that I love include, Kumquat (orange matte), Biiiitch (salmon matte), Quench (yellow matte), Submerge (light blue matte) and Splash (teal blue matte). I think these on their own combined would make such a Summery look. The Blues could be used on their own with maybe a sort of Blue-Silver shimmer on top to give off a full Water look? There's also a good few transition colours such as Parched and Taste buds. Last but not least, there is a full row of Metallics for those sparkly moments. If you want to find out more then check out Beauty Bay within the UK, or Jeffree Star Cosmetics for Worldwide including USA.

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Morphe 35B 35 Color Burst Palette

Morphe 35B 35 Color Burst Palette (a bit of a mouthful) delivers a glamorous selection of 35 different shades that will transport anyone into eyeshadow heaven instantly. Anyone that knows of Morphe knows that every one of their eyeshadows blend beautifully no matter what. This palette contains a mix of colours to give you plenty of looks. I can already see a look for a day out shopping, a party look, a date look, and a bright crazy look just from looking at the colours. I'm sure you can think of many more looks than what I've just suggested. There's a mixture of Shimmers and Mattes so if you wanted to do things like a shimmery Summery Cut Crease, then this Palette has you covered. Some of the shades that I like include, Apple Cider (you could create a look just with Moss Boss, Apple Cider and Ziggy), Ink (which might go well with Lavender Sky and Purplish). I also think that Frosty would be good to use to add a bit of Shimmer to any eye look as it's super pigmented. Check out Morphe to find out more about their amazing makeup and brushes.

Revolution Re-Loaded Palette Velvet Rose

Velvet Rose is a new addition to the Re-Loaded family. A truly compelling mixture of 15 smooth and rich shades, featuring essential beiges and browns, multi-functional shimmery golds and more. I love Revolution's Palettes. they're affordable but great to use. I haven't tried them yet but i love the look of the new Extra Spice palette from Soph via Revolution too as it looks beautiful. I also haven't tried their Conceal and Define mainly because of the shade that I would use has always been out of stock. (If there's anything that you want me to try from Revolution, sound off in the comments below). The shades look super pigmented, and, I love how this Palette isn't as bright as the others but, this entire palette would be fabulous for a Summer evening with drinks. I think that the sort of more Peachy colours against the one of the Gold Shimmers, maybe the Gold Leaf one would look amazing, and the Black with Gold would add a deep accent to any eye look. Rose Gold is so in at the moment! This Palette is only £4. Check out Revolution or your local Superdrug for more of their amazing products

Too Faced Life Is A Festival 

So, in regards to the disclaimer at the top, I've only swatched a couple of these when I was in the store. I mainly went for the Unicorn Tears Highlighter. When you think of Summer, some of us will think of festivals. Just in England alone, theres Download, Latitude, Leeds and Reading and a whole host of festivals that happen within the Summertime. Too Faced have clicked onto that and created a duo-chromatic palette, because, who doesn't love a shiny moment when they're at a festival enjoying great music? It makes you stand out and you'll know that you look great against all the mud. I only tried Sunseat Dream and Dusk Teal Dawn, and honestly, the pigment from the swatch was intense, which is great for those times at festivals, events, days out where you want to make sure that your eye look is amazing and blinding. I also love quite a few of these shades as a few are screaming Summers Eve especially with the names too. The Highlighter is blinding and has a slight creamy formula from what i remember. Who doesn't look a good highlighter though? The Palette is Gluten and Paraben free and has Rose Quartz in the mix to add a touch of love to the perfect palette. Check out Too Faced to find out more.

CYO Rainbow Warrior

I'm not sure which exact one I went for when swatching, as there are three with Rainbow Warrior. Y'know what it's like when you're swatching everythng and trying to check everything out. Stuff becomes a blur after a while. Well, it does for me... This Palette isn't so much Summer for the brightness, but a few of the shades instantly drew me in when researching for this post, because, they had a sort of sand vibe going on. Let's be honest, if we're not on holiday in the Summer season, then we are definitely dreaming about it and this palette helps that dream a bit. You get a Primer and Highlighter included in the Palette which I think is amazing. I had just finished swatching the new Fenty stuff when I made my way over to Boots to check out CYO (I'll tell you all my thoughts on that later in the week), I remember that the shades that I swatched instnatly were blending on my hand. If anyone has seen me swatch stuff, Abbey can probably vouch for this, I have a tendency to swatch and then blend it a bit on my hand, There is a mix of Cream and Powder shadows which would be great for transitioning and cut creasing. The Powder ones were really fine so they were easy to blend out and didn't feel too chunky, whereas, the creams one were buttery and easily to glide. I'm a bit iffy on cream ones sometimes as oils and wearing glasses can sometimes... Well end badly. This Palette is £7.99 at Boots, I think, which isn't bad at all for a 10 pan palette. Check out CYO or Boots here to find out more.

What's your favourite Summer Palette. Do you have any suggestions for me to try out? Let me know down below!

I hope that you have enjoyed this makeup based post. Let me know if I should do more posts like this wirthin the future. 

THanks for reading! 

Jamie x

Is This £132 Cream Worth It? | Sisley Paris Youth Cream

Hey Everybody! 

Welcome to a brand new blog post. As the title suggests, I thought that I would talk to you all today about a Youth Cream that I tried out from the infamous Sisley Paris.

Sisley Youth Cream is the first anti-aging beauty treatment,  to be used from the age of 25. It defends the skin's youth potential via Pea extract, which is rich in peptides. It combats the first signs of aging. Soy extract helps to reduce wrinkles that may be starting to appear on the skin,  and improves the tone of the skin. A powerful cocktail of active ingredients including Kiwi, Ginseng and Buckwheat Seed minimises the harmful effects of stress and fatigue on the skin. Essential oils with stimulating properties help to moisturise the skin intensely. A fresh and deliciously silky emulsion with a velvety matte finish. From the first application, skin is intensively hydrated and visibly energized. The complexion is fresher and brighter. After 4 weeks, the first wrinkles and signs of fatigue fade away. The skin is radiant, toned and full of vitality.

I got a sample sachet from a Sisley Paris counter, when I was looking around Harvey Nichols. The main reason that I was in Harvey Nicks, was for Fenty Beauty, but when Jamie's surrounded by beauty and makeup, then Jamie has to have a look at more than one counter! I talked to the Sisley staff member about using the Sisley Primer before, as everyone in the beauty world knows about the Primer. She told me that good skin care is  an investment, and I kind of agree with that, if, and it's a big if, if it can sort my lactose intolerant, dry, acne riddled skin out.

This beauty cream is priced at £132 on the website.

The Cream also contains Shea Butter which helps to give this product a creamy texture when applying it to the skin. Lavender to help balance the oils within the skin, Vitamin E to hydrate skin and Vitamin B5 to soothe the skin. This product is also meant for people from 25 onwards, but, as I got recommended this I wanted to see what it was really like, as I wanted to see whether a anti-wrinkle cream for the young really worked.

The Shea Butter helped to ensure that my skin was completely moisturised which is hard to do, due to my skin being so so dry, but the fact that the texture changes after a few minutes from wet to matte, kind of confused me for the first week of trying it. Once I got used to it, I found it fine. It did keep my skin completely moisturised for the entire day even in the temperatures that England have been experiencing at the moment. It's rare to find a beauty product that keeps my face moisturised for long.

Let's talk about scent. Even though this product contains Pea, Ginseng and Kiwi Extracts, you get none of them in the scent. I honestly expected the cream to smell either uplifting and fresh from the extracts. What I got from smell was Lavender. Nothing else, just Lavender. This was a bit of a shame, because well, even though Lavender is great for balancing oils in the skin, I don't want to be smelling like it from a mile away, first thing in the morning... Mainly because it will make me want to go back to bed. At night, its a completely different story, but, at £132 per bottle, I want to be using it and getting the results from this as often as possible.

Now on the best part, the results. On the website, under the results tab, it says that after the first use, skin will be intensely moisturised and visibly energised. Intensely moisturised. Check. Visibly energised? I'd say that I looked perkier but not fully energised, but then again, the weather was so warm that five seconds of it made me want to go hibernate for a couple of hours... With a few cocktails maybe? I only used the product for two weeks like I do with most beauty reviews, but i did feel like everything was a bit firmer. The Cream does do wonders for the skin, but honestly, I'd say to stick away from this if you're not keen on Lavender. I'd also say to stick something a bit more energizing on top, especially in the heat at the minute, such as a spray, because the Lavender hits hard. Is this worth £132? I mean kinda, but not completely? It's worth it for the moisturisation and the slight firming but honestly I think that it would be better as a Firming Moisturiser instead of a Moisturising Youth Anti Wrinkle because the Moisturising acts more than the firming in my opinion, or maybe a Night Cream? I'd definitely suggest that everyone asks to try it at least to see if its something for them though!

Click here to have a look at Sisley Paris.

Have you tried anything from Sisley Paris products before? Let me know down below! 

I hope that you have enjoyed this beauty based blog post. I hope that you come back soon for another blog post.

Thanks for reading! 
Jamie x

Dreaming Of High Hopes In Our Roaring 20's | Panic! At The Disco - Pray For The Wicked - Track By Track Review

Hey everyone! 

Welcome to a brand new blog post! I thought that, today, I would talk to you, all about, Panic! At The Disco's new album, 'Pray For The Wicked.'

I know that music based blog posts aren't for everyone, but, Jamie Sowden has a plethora of blog posts to suit everyone and their needs so, if this doesn't tickle your fancy then search the blog for something that will!

Pray For The Wicked is the sixth album from Panic! At The Disco This album is the follow up to the bands album, Death Of A Bachelor. This musical masterpiece was released on, 22nd of June this year, via Fueled By Ramen.

The album starts off with, (Fuck A) Silver Lining, this song has a pretty upbeat tempo, with legendary vocals that Brendon Urie is known for to match. This song seems to be about letting worries go, and makes great current cultural references via artists that are in the limelight of today, such as Beyonce  This up-tempo rock inspired anthem definitely sets the scene for a great album, for an intro song.

Say Amen (Saturday Night) talks about letting go of everything that the world has thrown at you on a Saturday Night. It also touches on about not regretting the adventures that you acquire within your life, and, that even though you may want to be better than you are but sometimes you're just you/ Brendon also talks slightly about ensuring that he cares fondly about his Mother which carries on into the next song. This is also the first within the album to actually reference the title of the album. The ong also carries on the theme of up-tempo, slightly rocky/messy songs which may cause the listener to feel 'pumped' for their own Saturday Night. If you don't listen to this on a Saturday Night, then are you actuallly enjoyiug your Saturday Night? Am i right, or, am i right?

This leads us into the next track, Hey Look Ma, I've Made It! This song talks about how far Brendon has came in his career. The song also talks about how friends can sometimes be deceiving and that 'if you don't know who to trust, then you'll be lonely.' This song also talks about the celebrity culture in society and what you can do about it. Most importantly it talks about well, ensuring that his Mum is proud of him. Again, this album wants thje audience to know that there is continuity as the sound and instruments used in this song are also used in High Hopes.

High Hopes, screams, believing in yourself when no one else would. I know that this is probably obvious from the lyrics, but, I think that this is a pretty honest yet empowering song that society has needed for sometime. It also touches on childhood and how it was and dreaming. I love this song. I also really love how the drums take centre stage in this song for me.

Next we go onto one of my favourite songs from this album. Roaring 20's. If you know me persoanlly, then you will probably know how much I've been banging on about this song for. For some reason, the tune of this gives me Moulin Rouge vibes? (Side note, Brendon doing a version of Moulin Rouge would be amazing especially after her role in Kinky Boots on the West End.) The song is on about well, being in your 20's, and trying to find yourself and figure out how you can battle life in your own way. This instantly resonates with me. 'I don't even know me' screams out to me because well I can definitely relate to that. The song also talks about using drinks and drugs to get through situations and I think that anyone in their twenties can understand how that feels on some form of level. It also talks about coping with things like anxiety and being paranoid. This song just based on it's lyric's, is a song that needs to be pushed further and further into the musical limelight.

Dancing's Not A Crime instantly sounds like it could have a encoded message of the women aren't legally allowed to dance in the street in Saudi Arabia. I love the free flowing spirit of this song. I also think that the track actually has a good rhythm that makes you want to instantly dance along, no matter what. I also love the lyric 'I just wanna be your boyfriend, girlfriend' I can imagine listening to this song on a hot Summer's evening where people don't really care, but instead are enjoying the music and weather.

One Of The Drunks is up next. This song instantly talks about enjoying a good night every weekend after another one of those despicable weeks. 'Bourbon High' pretty much sums up this song as you feel ecstatic when you're getting drunk, but. when it comes around every week to try and get yourself to relax and calm down, it just kind of becomes a bit mundane, 'I guess'. This song is saying, you've done this, you're one of us now. I love the sort of slightly futuristic tune going on within this song. I honestly think that this is a great song with a target audience of those, who are now figuring out what it feels like to be an adult.

'The Overpass talks about being sorry, and seeing things that you don't want to. It also talks about love and reminds me of the This Is Gospel album for some weird reason. This song is well, about not letting go of the past. I also love the slight sort of slowed down spoken verse, as, it contrasts against the high notes that are within the song. I also see this song being featured in quite a few films. I love the sort of rollercoaster up and down sound that is going on throughout this song.

One Of The Clouds is a weird one, but I love it. The sort of electronic yet dreamy intro reminds me kind of an S Club 7 ballad, then the other instruments kick in and it shows itself as a messy rock inspired quirky ballad with enough emotion and passion to send you to the clouds and back. I also love the lyrics as it talks about not being able to feel or  be anything in the clouds which relates to the destigmatisation and visibility of mental health which has been reinforced all the way throughout this album.

If you didn't get that Bourbon/Alcohol was a big theme of this album, then, welcome to Old Fashioned. A song that is named after a Whiskey based cocktail. This song is about remembering when everything was calm and great. I also love the sort of calm guitar centred moments within this song. I also love the random moments of 'get boozy. boozy boozy' throughout the track. It's also a great song to listen to with a cocktail. I just love the calm yet catchy vibe of the song.

Last but not least, Dying In L.A. I love this song just because it's raw and honest. I adore the piano intro as you instantly know that the song is more on the emotional side. Again, this song has some bits of mental health integrated into it. 'Nobody knows when you're dying in L.A' because everyones too busy and trying to make their own living, that they don't stop to ensure people that around them are okay. I love the soft vocals in this song that slowly build up. It gives me that sort of song that you put on to stare out of the window when it's raining.

I loved this album, honestly, it's an absolute roller coaster and I love it for that. I love the references to mental health and alcohol just trying to tackle life all the way through. I think that some songs are definitely meant for a mood, and others are meant for another. I don't think that I will ever stop listening to Roaring 20's. This is definitely an album that will be listened for years to come!

Have you listened to Pray For The Wicked? What's your favourite song? Let me know donwn below!

Check out Panic! At The Disco via clicking here. Listen to Pray For The Wicked via streaming services such as Spotify and Apple Music.

I hope that you've enjoyed this music based blog post. I hope that you come back next time for another post!

Thanks for reading!Jamie x 

Posting Onto The Internet | Digital Drop In With Google Digital Garage & Post Office

Hey everyone!

How's your day going? Good? Bad? How are you coping with the weather? Have you finished your exams? Have you finished uni? Let me know down below!

Welcome to a brand new blog post! Today, I thought that I would talk to you in depth about the digital confidence event that I went to with Leeds Central Library, Post Office, and,. Google Digital Garage.

I started off the day by rushing to get ready. For all you fashion headed people out there, I thought that I would take a slight bit of inspiration from Queer Eye, and, attempt a sort of french shirt, jean combo where the shirt is french tucked (the front of the shirt is tucked, but the back isn't) with the Jeans. I grabbed my DSLR and headed to Leeds Central Library. I used Google Maps to get there, because, like most independent students, I hate awkwardly asking a stranger for directions to a probably obvious location. After finally finding the beautiful building, I made my way to the workshop.

When arriving at the workshop, I met the wonderful Lucy from Lucy At Home, and, Sophie from, Mama Mei. It's always great to meet some fellow Yorkshire Bloggers! I took a few snaps and then got to talk to a couple fo the people from Google about all things technological, such as Google Home, and how they've helped people with disabilities, and, how Hey, Google, has helped cut time for busy people such as students.

The main reason why I wanted to come along and improve my digital confidence, was because, even though I'm pretty young, technology is improving at a alarming amount. Ten years ago, I would never think that I'd be able to get so many opportunities with great brands via just typing my opinion and thoughts down on a laptop. I never thought that we'd be able to use our phones for things such as Just Eat, Uber, and the likes. So, I want to stay on top of technology and ensure that I have the best skills possible so I can make sure things such as my blog are in good form, and, that I'm improving just like technology. I also wanted to make sure I knew my stuff for when certain members of my family ask the inevitable, 'how do I do this?' because it's best that I know the easiest way to do things like that.

At the workshop, I got to help out a couple of people with their technological problems, including, a wonderful woman who wanted to know more about Social Media and how to promote the things that she wanted to, via social media. I also helped out some of the team from Post Office with camera and photography tips. Trust me, I'm definitely not a professional photographer, but, it was nice to actually spread on information that I had learnt from others who are amazing with photography!

The workshop also talked about how broadband can affect your digital confidence. i mean, if your broadband has a constand bad signal, then it means that it takes longer to do anything, thus, making you want to give up on doing something digitally quickly, because let's be honest, we don't always have the patience to wait for something to finally do it's thing! If your broadband isn't that great, then it might be a good idea to check out Post Office's Broadband which is £18 per month.

After the workshop, we got to have an amazing tour of the library. That might sound a bit boring down on words, but honestly, Leeds Central Library is beautiful. You could shoot a sort of period or high class (think like Dynasty) sort of film, and no one would know that, it's 2018 Leeds! i adored the rooms, the history, and even the tapestry behind the library! Theres even a sort of Art Studio that's connected to the Art Gallery, a digital based room for 16-29 year olds, and even a space to talk about starting your own business!

Carrying on with the day, we all then went for my favourite thing in the world. Food! We went to banyan in Leeds which is actually located in the old Post Office. When entering the restaurant, you're met with grand chandeliers, cool modern accessories and cute chairs. I decided to go for a Steak Sandwich with Bearnaise Sauce and Fries. I first had Bearnaise Sauce when I was in Paris a good few years ago, and, I've loved it ever since! The Steak were succulent and juicy, the sauce added a cremy yet herbal punch, and, the bread had a bit of crunch against it which went well against the Steak. Banyan definitely seems like somewhere perfect for a date or a special occasion,

I then chatted to the guys from the Google Digital Garage, about everything, from SEO (Search Engine Optimisation), to trying to cater a blog more towards it's audience. We even talked about things such as the 3 second rule when it comes to food, to, the world being taken over by cyborgs, and, literally everything in between. I loved talking to them, and, honestly I learnt quite a lot from them!

During all of this amazing talk, dessert happened. Dessert is always a good thing, and, as I had already had lactose, I thought that I would treat myself and enjoy something. I decided to go for a Chocolate Delice, mainly because, the blogger in me wanted to see what it was. This was a sort of cross between a Cake and a Torte. It was delicious but very rich. The dessert came with a Lime Sorbet which was to die for, especially in the weather that we've been having recently!

We chatted some more and the wonderful guys from Google showed me how to make a GIF on my Phone, and, gave me a Cardboard VR, which I'm still very grateful for! If you want to see me do a separate post on that, then, let me know down below!

Click here to check out Google Digital Garage.

Click here to check out Post Office Broadband.

Click here to find out more about Leeds Libraries.

I hope that you have enjoyed this student/lifestyle/food/technology based post. I hope that you come back next time for another post!

Thanks for reading! 
Jamie x 

This post was in collaboration with Google & Post Office. All views, opinions and ramblings are my own.