Vegetarian

Oumph! Kebab Spiced

/ Vamp It Up Mcr (Chrissie) / Leave a comment

Oumph! Kebab Spiced strips really do taste like Greek or Turkish kebabs made with traditional spices.

I’ve used them to add texture and protein to a salad; I’ve had them in a wrap with fried onion, mushroom and bell pepper with a little yoghurt sauce and thinly sliced cucumber and as a simple burger replacement topped with melted cheese, tomato sauce and lettuce.

The first word that comes to mind when describing the texture is chewy. ‘Very resilient hot dog sausage’ is a fair comparison. Be aware that this does not change, no matter how much you fry them.

I love them for their authentic flavour, versatility and yes, even the texture. A girl can only eat tofu for so long without wanting a change.

Rating 5/5

❤Chrissie❤

Gluten and Dairy Free Crisps from Aldi

/ Vamp It Up Mcr (Chrissie) / 3 Comments

I think I’ve found the Holy Grail of crisps for people with dairy and gluten intolerance!

Wait, what actually is a food intolerance?

Food intolerances, although not as dangerous as some allergies, can have a very real and detrimental affect on daily life. Sometimes causing severe bloating/water retention, facial redness, shortness of breath, bad skin, serious gut pain, bowel problems and fatigue. As a result of the body seeing this food as alien, it not only raises histamines (very stressful for our immune system) but the body doesn’t absorb much goodness from the food so vitamin and mineral deficiencies are common.

Can’t you just avoid cheese, milk, pasta and bread then?

This is exactly what I thought at first, until I discovered that Lactose (a milk sugar) and Gluten (a grain protein) are often used in flavourings to bulk them out and to get them to stick to the snack. I’ve honestly been in so many supermarkets where I couldn’t buy ANY crisps or flavoured rice cakes or popcorn, not even trusty Salt & Vinegar flavour sometimes because of either Lactose or Gluten in the flavouring. The big bags of ‘posh crisps’ tend to be a little better I’ve noticed but they are so dear!

So do they taste any good?

All of these flavours taste unique and wonderful. Ranging from sweet but spicy Serrano Chilli & Yucatán Honey along with Tomatillo Salsa, to the spicy, smokey but slightly sharper Chipotle and Lime, to traditional Sea Salt and Black Pepper and the more unusual, zingy Sea Salt and Lime. My fave surprisingly.

Any other good stuff?

Both ranges are pleasantly affordable and the textures are crunchy but not too hard, a lot like handmade tortilla chips you would get in a hipster bar.

The Specially Selected range contain 2.5% seeds, including Golden Linseed, Sunflower Seeds, Brown Linseed and Millet. The Tortillas With Spirit are made from Whole White Corn and Green Lentils.

Nom, nom…

A big handful of these dipped into hummus, chunky salsa or dairy free yoghurt are so filling and energy giving that I’ve been having them for lunch (on slower days) rather than just as a snack. Also, very nice crushed and sprinkled over salad for extra protein and texture.

🖤Chrissie🖤

Weleda ‘Nature’s Collection’ A Beauty Calendar with a Difference

/ Vamp It Up Mcr (Chrissie) / 2 Comments

I wanted an advent calendar that was beauty (rather than chocolate) based and wanted natural skincare items that I would make my skin and wellbeing that little bit better everyday. With that in mind, the first brand that I thought of was Weleda and luckily they had produced one but one that was a little different!

Nature’s Collection calendar £34.95 consists of 12 doors, each containing a different product but you start it on Christmas day. It’s designed to brighten the dullest mornings and complexions through to the 5th of January.

I’ve always found that part of the year to be a tad odd and I can’t tell you how many New Years I’ve started with either a hangover, a tad of uncertainty or both so I thought this was a lovely idea.

About the designer

‘Throughout the year, Emma Britton, decorative glass designer, has captured the essence of ‘The Field’, our Weleda Garden in Derbyshire, and the place where it all starts – the journey from seed to skin. As a pattern designer Emma sees things in everyday life others might miss and she is inspired by floral beauty in both countryside and garden.’

**SPOILER ALERT**

I opened three doors ahead of time for the purpose of this review and because I was feeling pretty bit low the first few days of it going dark by 3.00pm!

If you are buying this as a Christmas present for a lucky someone, you can see the full list of products in the description on the Weleda website.

❤Chrissie❤

 

Yaoh Skincare

/ Vamp It Up Mcr (Chrissie) / 1 Comment

Yaoh are an independant vegan company based in Bristol, UK who are one of the original hemp beauty companies. They were the first cruelty free and natural beauty brand that I ever used, around ten years ago. Since then they have extended their range which includes bath products, skincare, suncare, lipcare and even organic food!

Deep Forest Moisturiser £6.99, 56g

Containing multiple essential oils this is an incredibly effective moisturiser. It has the thick consistency of a luxury night cream but sinks in fairly quickly. This would be the perfect base for foundation if you have very dry skin and primers don’t work for you. My skin has become a lot drier since turning 30 (on the exact day, I swear) but Deep Forest Moisturiser replaces everything I’m naturally lacking for healthy, younger looking skin. For combination skin I’ve found applying an essential oil based moisturiser like this (sparingly), after cleansing, can re-balance it over a week or two.

Tropical Fruits Body Butter £11.99, 200g

I find this to be more of a cream, rather than a butter or balm but it still hydrates really well and feels lovely; a little like comfort-food for the skin. I love that it doesn’t leave my skin feeling really tacking and so I’m able to put on leggings and/skinny jeans within a few minutes of application; something that’s often impossible after using a lot of other body butters. One thing which does disappoint me is the ‘tropical fruits’ scent. I was expecting it to smell like a giant holiday cocktail but it just doesn’t. I am glad that it doesn’t contain any synthetic perfumes though so…

50% off all body butters throughout October 2018 Use code BUTT50

Lip Balms £2.95, 4g

Made with Candelila Wax, Olive Oil, Vitamin E and Comfrey, these lip balms are work really hard to rescue dry damaged lips and also act as a barrier against harsh weather. They have a nice scent but don’t taste of much, which I like because otherwise I’d lick it all off!

50% off selected lip balms Oct-Dec 2018 Use code LIPS50

______________________

Look out for my upcoming review of Yaoh Shampoo and Conditioner!

❤Chrissie❤

September – Monthly Round-up

/ Vamp It Up Mcr (Chrissie) / 2 Comments

Food & Drink

My Bloke got me these posh teas from Twinings so I can have hot drinks that aren’t builders tea (strong, milk, two sugars) which I’m not overly fond of. I can’t attest to their waking and sleeping powers as my brain seems to function in any other way possible, than what’s expected; I can say they both taste lovely though. Fairly subtle and fresh in flavour and not too perfumy.

We are successfully growing chillies! The plant is both male and female so you get a really soft and narrow makeup brush and act like a bee and go around all of the flowers pollinating it. We planted it at the start of summer and now have seven decent sized chillies, with lots of tiny little green globes that will hopefully grow bigger.

I’ve figured out the perfect way of making a vegetarian Roast ‘Chicken’ Salad & Fahita Filling.

Style

This is the one of my trusty styles for autumn, along with a more dressy look I’ll post next month.

Of course there had to be something Halloween related as we near October. Unbelievably some of the things I wanted to include in Halloween Fashion were already sold out!

I’ve never been a big Disney Princess fan, in fact the words used to make me shudder as a kid BUT I’ve always loved a good baddie. Perfect for Halloween Disney Style.

Beauty

Here’s why this GOSH BB Cream was both a hit and a miss.

Ooh pretty! See what I thought of the Barry M Holographic Eye Toppers and what look I created using the green one.

If you want an everyday mascara which will be kind to your lashes and the environment then PHB Natural Mascara is the one you need.

Random

Even though my Bloke has never watched friends he has somehow picked up on the recent resurgence of it and has started saying Joey’s expression “How you doin’?” to me. He started off enthusiastically (and hilariously) saying “How ya doing!!!” while wiggling his eyebrows up and down. Bahahaa! Nope. I told him it’s “How you doin’?” with one eyebrow raise to accent the word ‘you’, that makes ALL the difference. He is now utterly and disarmingly brilliant at it! I seem to have subconsciously picked up on the Joey look too.

Squirrels hate me. Yup. On three separate occasions I have been screamed at by a squirrel. Walking by one on a footpath, walking under a low hanging branch and yesterday one was on a tree, next to the window and I was inside the flat! I’m starting to agree with Carrie Bradshaw that they are indeed ‘Just rats in cute outfits.’ Although, that may be an injustice to rats.

Here’s an honest and lighthearted list of 15 Relatable Ways Brain Fog Effects People. You might think of someone or even yourself as rather ‘ditzy’ or sort of ‘head in the clouds’ but it could be brain fog if they/you have chronic fatigue or various other conditions. I’ve come out with some great one-linners and wonderings while feeling brain-fogged however.

 

❤ Chrissie ❤

Roast ‘Chicken’ Salad/Fajita Filling

/ Vamp It Up Mcr (Chrissie) / 1 Comment

I like tofu in many forms, straight off the block cold, scrambled in egg or as scrambled egg, grilled with BBQ sauce and in sushi with tamari or hot sauce. I recently started buying a smoked version of firm tofu by The ToFoo Co. but it tasted more roasted than smokey. It bothered me until I decided to use it as a roast chicken replacement.

40633627_10156571046892487_7180878993254514688_n

I asked a few people what kind of salad this tasted like and they all said ‘chicken mayo’ and it’s dairy and gluten free too, so here it is.

40617986_10156571029582487_7683219390396891136_n

  • Firm tofu
  • 1/3 tin of mixed beans
  • Sweetcorn
  • Baby gem lettuce
  • Slice of onion
  • Salt
  • Toasted sesame oil
  • Vegetable oil
  • Garlic mayo.
  1. Squeeze out excess water from the tofu by wrapping with paper towels pressing.
  2. Slice up tofu and generously salt it
  3. Pour sesame oil and vegetable oil onto a saucer and coat the tofu on all sides
  4. Grill on medium for around five minutes so tofu is lightly browned but not crispy
  5. Put tofu on the bed of salad
  6. Squirt over mayo

So simple but so tasty! This tastes amazing in a fajita wrap as well.

❤Chrissie❤

August Monthly Round-up

/ Vamp It Up Mcr (Chrissie) / 2 Comments

Well this is a bit late as the very end of August caught me by surprise for some reason.

Style

I bought this Rick & Morty tee from EMP and it’s a slim but flattering fit, soft material and a good length for tall gals.

I reviewed some gorgeous iridescent trainers by Hype.

I was prepared for the weather changing (before the resurgence of the British heat wave) and picked out some easy Autumn fashion ideas.

Food

As a vegetarian with a wheat and dairy intolerance, I often get asked “Then what do you eat?” I decided to show everyone what’s in my fridge (items in door included).

Beauty

I bought two two products from two different ranges by Nip and Fab, that compliment each other really well. They also look a little different too! Here’s my review.

It took me a long time to realise I was defeating my hair just by washing it the wrong way, before I even started styling it! Here are my tips for turninig thick frizz into shiny waves.

I think this is fairly self explanatory, here it is.

Random

The Bloke mentioned that I tend to look very serious in a lot of my selfies so I took some silly one’s when we were having a laugh.

❤Chrissie❤

What’s In My Fridge

/ Vamp It Up Mcr (Chrissie) / 5 Comments

Often when I explain to people that I’m veggie and have a gluten and dairy intolerance, they often ask “Then what do you eat then?”

Top shelf: Chilled Water; Burger Sauce (this is as close to prawn cocktail sauce I’ve found and I love it on salad); Spanish Tortilia.

Middle shelf: Giant Green Olives; Organic Humus; Quorn Smokey Ham Free Slices; Violife Block Original (dairy free cheese, which is great for gooey toasties).

Bottom Shelf: Humus, Artichoke hearts in oil, Sacla Free From Green Pesto, Tahini (perfect for making your own humus by adding the tahini with tinned chickpeas, garlic paste or fresh and olive oil and blending); Gosh! Veggie Moroccan Spiced Koftas.

Salad Draw: Usually iceberg lettuce, rocket, tomatoes, onion, bell pepper; Mixed pickled veg which I love as it’s so crunchy!

Top door shelf: East End Very Hot Green Chilli; East End Hot Mango and Chilli (can’t taste any mango but it is very refreshing, used sparingly); Pitted Black Olives x2; East End Tamarind Sauce (sweeter than the original paste); Sriracha Hot Sauce (sweeter and less vinegary than Tabasco).

Bottom door shelf: Tyskie (not mine, I prefer Peroni – gluten free);OKF Farmer’s Aloe Vera with Water Melon (tasty and so hydrating); Vita Coconut Water (er, so hydrating); Alpro Almond Milk (great with coffee or for making ‘cheese’ sauce).

I’d love to hear if you have any questions or if there are other ways that you would use these items?

❤Chrissie❤

July Monthly Blog Round-up

/ Vamp It Up Mcr (Chrissie) / 5 Comments

Turns out I’m still figuring out how to get my eye makeup to show up under my glasses. I’ve tried black eyeliner on the top and sparkly gold colours on my lids and lower lash line. This is the amazing result – oh. I’m going for masses of metallic blue and green liner next time, maybe a bit of pink!

Screen Shot 2018-07-31 at 17.47.33

Ordered from Zad’s in Chorlton as I really fancied some veggie junk food. It did not disappoint – OMG it was lush!

Screen Shot 2018-07-31 at 17.41.53

I reviewed the Pixi Strobe and Sculpt palette. It came out at just the right time when I needed to restock a few things, which all happened to be included in this palette! Read my review here.

37186869_10156446575532487_8069751131183513600_n

Not so great timing was finding this yellow colour corrector by Nip and Fab which you can mix with foundation that’s too orange – when I’d just thrown out three foundation which were, yup, too orange. Still, useful for that in the future and I can use it under lighter coverage foundation to tone down any redness I have.

Screen Shot 2018-07-31 at 17.43.32

I found some really nice firm tofu called Toofoo. It’s great grilled with a coating of chilli oil or some BBQ sauce.

Screen Shot 2018-07-31 at 17.42.46

When I heard that LUSH were releasing a solid foundation called Slap Stick and that it came in 40 shades with three undertones, I had to try it. See what I thought here.

37321572_10156454311892487_5753068835695493120_n

After half a year of summer I’d gotten a bit fed up coconut water or almond milk based smoothies. I chucked a load of blueberries and raspberries and water into a blender and blended thoroughly, then I added around 10 ice cubes and pulsed to create a slushy . It tasted wonderful!

Screen Shot 2018-07-31 at 17.43.18

I bought some amazing unicorn inspired brushes and realised I couldn’t fit them into any makeup bags I own. I saw this sparkly pencil case in Tesco and they fit great…Now that I’ve sawn off the giant pointy bit at the end. I actually think they look better now and are easier to use.

Screen Shot 2018-07-31 at 17.44.13

I have combination hair, y’know oily roots, meh mid-lengths and frizzy ends. I can’t tell you how many pre-wash treatments or overnight treatments I’ve used and two thirds of my hair LOVED them but my roots looked like I’d been at a festival – for a year. So I thought I’d share these two products that have solved the need for all of that, read the post here.

38085350_10156484846232487_4851763102452023296_n

This has been my fave outfit since the heatwave broke and I can stand to wear trainers – rather gladiator sandals – again. Doing outfit flatlays is hard! I miss Polyvore.

Screen Shot 2018-07-31 at 17.43.53

❤Chrissie❤

 

 

Monthly Round-up June

/ Vamp It Up Mcr (Chrissie) / 3 Comments

Style

img_3537

Find this in a pile of the Bloke’s old clothes and ‘adopted it’.

Screen Shot 2018-07-01 at 17.16.30

36465363_10156419316857487_4268244305837031424_n

I finally found two dresses, that hide my pizza handles; are a practical but un-frumpy length (at least for me) and aren’t too prom-dressy. Both from EMP.

Screen Shot 2018-07-01 at 17.51.03

When you can’t be arsed hiding your natural resting bitch face, ha! This Casual Urban Summer outfit felt surprisingly cool (before the heatwave) and also worked well with gladiator sandals for casual evenings.

Screen Shot 2018-07-01 at 17.53.18

I’ve been trying to find sunglasses like these very old ones but haven’t been having much luck, as I guess they are very early-2000’s in style. I’m also learning how to take selfies with a point and shoot camera…I need more practice.

Food and Drink

Screen Shot 2018-07-01 at 17.13.33

Someone gave us an Aloe plant about a year ago and this is the first time that I used it in a drink. It tastes so bitter but if you only use half a finger, somehow that tartness goes away when you mix it with anything sweet, like perfectly ripe strawberries.

Screen Shot 2018-07-01 at 17.21.45

The Bloke has bringing me veggie koftas by Gosh from the ‘posh’ Tesco in Didsbury. I don’t always have enough energy to make and fry my own falafel or to get to the deli before they close so these are a great alternative and last for ages in the fridge.

Screen Shot 2018-07-01 at 17.15.55

We bought some chilli seeds around two months ago and now we have this lovely gangly thing. In the morning it raises it’s leaves and then bends toward the sun in an arch throughout the day. Just after sundown, it lowers it’s leaves again and stays still. I’ve just pollinated it, with it’s own flowers but I can’t see any yellow pollen so I have no idea if it worked and we will get chilli’s.

Beauty

36223479_10156402917542487_640816503611981824_n

Hempz, Herbal range are some of the best products I’ve ever used to style my crazy, frizzy natural hair so they were a joy to review.

32736382_10156312314292487_6603196460194332672_n

These three are the most borrow-able items in my blokes bathroom and they smell great too so I thought I’d review them in Pinching My Blokes Skincare.

Lifestyle

img_3488_facetune_28-06-2018-19-11-34

I was offered a free star map from Modern Map Art and chose to get one done for my Dad for Fathers Day. Here’s my review if you want to know more.

Screen Shot 2018-07-01 at 17.16.08

I found this, which made me laugh as it was so appropriate at the time ^_^

gotham_season_4_cast_5k_2017-3840x2400

I’ve nearly finished series 5 of Gotham. It has it’s usual gangster slant and a new intelligent baddy for young Bruce. They’ve added more of a horror element this series and also the violence is less comic book and just plain graphic. I’m not a big fan of either of the above. Poison Ivy and Butch aren’t pictured here, probably for good reason, so as not to spoil the surprise of how they look.

I made this using the Geek Alphabet created by The Nifty Nerd. Such a great idea!

❤Chrissie❤