#uk lifestyle blogger

.June Flavrbox | What’s Inside.

It’s Flavrbox time again and the June Box* is quite exotic! For those who don’t know, Flavrbox are a food subscription box that deliver full sized gourmet treats from across the UK every month right to your door for you to taste. Here at xameliax HQ (aka my bedroom) we look forward to them every single month and June’s box has been no exception!

Date & Almond Wedge by De Juan - I thought this was cheese at first and i got really excited but it’s not, it’s a date and almond wedge which coincidentally does still go very well on your cheeseboard! It’s an interesting invention and i actually really enjoyed it with a bit of mature cheddar and crackers as an after dinner snack - it’s (as you would expect)very nutty and fruity which goes very well with a good brie! I would definitely consider looking out for something like this again for any winter dinner parties.

Pistachio Cocoa Turkish Delight also by Arabica - Love love love this stuff! It tastes like a super soft nougat and i nearly demolished the whole bag in one go! I adore pistachios and this is rolled in loads of them with a coconutty sweet chewy centre - and they’re vegan friendly too, the perfect after dinner treat with a coffee.

Wild Sumac by Arabica - This is an interesting fruity little spice that apparently goes great with lamb. It smells incredible but I haven’t actually had a chance to try it out just yet. Always love these kinds of jars as they make wonderful go-to cupboard staples when you want to jazz up a piece of meat for dinner. 

Ali Oli Garlic Mayonnaise by Dellicioso - I can’t believe it’s taken me so long to get a jar of Ali Oli in my life! Joe and i lived off this stuff in Greece and were gutted when we couldn’t get it at home. It’s like a garlic mayonnaise with a more authentic taste than your standard Hellman’s squeezy jar. Fantastic for serving with cut dried meats or on a fresh summer salad and also very effective at keeping vampires at bay.

Fire Crackers by Captain Tiptoes - I’ve seriously saved the best product till last this month, these crackers are absolutely incredible. Similar to a snack found in my old Graze box deliveries but a giant bag of them i couldn’t put them down! They’re nobbly, crunchy, sweet and firey that are a match made in a heaven with a cold beer out in the garden. I love these and i will be ordering an entire shipment of them for the summer months. They also have a giant mustache on the packaging, sold. 

You can sign up for the next Flavrbox delivery on their website HERE for just £18 +p&p!

Did you receive June’s box? What was your favourite item?

Tweet us @xameliax @flavrbox and tell us your favourite foodie bits from this box! #juneflavrbox

xax 

.My New Luxury Summer Love | NEOM Wild Mint & Mandarin Body Scrub.

Over the past year I’ve picked up a real penchant for pampering and for me a luxurious body scrub is the crème de la crème. I’ve found a couple in the past that have truly excited me including Neom’s Real Luxury Body Scrub* and to my glee they’ve only gone and released another one with this stunning Great Day Wild Mint & Mandarin Body Scrub* (£34)! 

You many have also noticed the super slick new packaging design that comes along with this new scent – I absolutely love it! With their new white and black labels NEOM now fits in right at home on the shelf with my other higher end beauty products and looks incredibly smart. Fancy new labels aside, a scrub is only as good as in contents and I’m happy to report that this beautiful new scent is simply to die for.  It smells like summer wandering through an orchard with a mojito in hand - a real zingy, refreshing scent and as always the essential oils leave your skin feeling so soft after use I often find I can skip moisturiser altogether. I like to use mine before a night out as a luxury way to pamper and invigorate me into the party mood! 

A little goes a long way with NEOM scrubs so although the £34 price tag may seem a little daunting in comparison to those you find on the shelf in Boots, you really do get what you pay for. A fantastic way to exfoliate and moisturise your skin and add a little bit of luxury into your shower session with a scent that fills the room as soon as you open the lid. I’m crossing fingers NEOM keep bringing out scrubs for all their scent ranges because I will quite happily work my way through every single one!

You can find all of NEOM’s stunning candles and skin care products on their website here - they’re fast becoming one of my absolute favourite brands.

Have you tried this new body scrub scent? What’s your favourite NEOM product?

Tweet us @xameliax @NEOMOrganics #GreatDayScrub

xax

.New Matcha Drinks On The Go | teapigs.

Those of you who have been around for a while will know that last year i discovered the wonderful world of matcha tea(seehereandhere). If you haven’t heard of it before it’s a miracle bright green tea powder that’s packed full of antioxidents(with one cup the equivilent of 15 cups of normal green tea), helps to speed up your metabolism and fight all the nasty things that can beat your body down and i swear by it. 

Unfortunately on it’s own i think it tastes disgusting (think along the lines of pondwater mixed with death) but stirred into orange juice it’s flavour is undetectable…even if it does turn your juice bright green! The only problem with this is that without a clever whizzy whisk gadget it can be quite difficult to mix and that bloody powder get’s EVERYWHERE! So the clever clogs at teapigs have come up with a simple solution for the matcha lover’s preparation problem and mixed it for us in handy on the go cartons! So far they’ve released three fruity flavours: Apple*, Elderflower* and Grapefruit*. 

I started off with the apple flavour but i’m sad to say that i really didn’t like it! I could still taste the matcha poking through at the end and it just wasn’t for me. Luckily though Elderflower and Grapefruit saved the day with a simply delicious, fresh taste and no matcha flavouring in sight - score! I like to grab one in the morning on the way to work or just before i work out to give me a bit of a boost. 

They’re a little on the pricey side at first glance with one carton coming in at £1.89 but a pack of matcha powder will set you back over £20 so it doesn’t work out too badly in the end. And compared to your daily caffeine boost from starbucks it’s practically pence…and only 32 kcals per 100ml too! All in all i’m a convert to the Elderflower and Grapefruit blends and i’d certainly buy them again - cheers to you teapigs and your adorable cartoon cup of tea!

Right now you can find them on the teapigs website here but they will soon be hitting your supermarket shelves so keep those eyes peeled!

Have you tried matcha tea before? Would you give these cartons a go?

Tweet us @xameliax @teapigs#matchadrinks

xax