Superdrug’s Black Seaweed Peel-Off Mask

I recently bought some face masks from Superdrug to try out. I have always been a big fan of Superdrug’s own brand masks as they are inexpensive and really effective. They are usually priced at 99p each and since they are currently doing the 3 for 2 offer on Superdrug Face masks, it is a good time to stock up on your favourite masks.

I tried the Black Seaweed Peel-Off mask last night and was really impressed with the results. The formula is quite thin so I put on quite an even, thick layer and let it to dry for 20 mins. It may take a bit longer or less to dry depending on your room conditions. Once you peel off the mask, just wash your face to get rid of any residue left on your face and pat dry. I always follow up with my night moisturiser to lock in that moisture.

When I started peeling off the mask, I could instantly see a visible difference on my skin. My face looked cleaner and brighter instantly – it definitely gave my skin a good detox. It also gave a blur effect on the pores which made my skin look smoother. However, since it was Black Seaweed, I wasn’t a big fan of the smell. If you have a sensitive sense of smell, this smell may not appeal to you. It needs a bit of time to get used to the smell.

I am still divided with this fact as it does really good things to my skin but I’m not really sure if I can stand the smell for 20 mins. I should probably put a thinner layer around my nose and upper lip area the next time so the smell doesn’t put me off.

I love the results this mask gives and I do recommend you to try it out. But I would suggest you to pour the mask in a clean bowl as it can get quite messy if you apply it directly from the packet.

 

Hope you guys find this post useful. Take care.

 

Pizza Storm – new favourite pizza place

I love finding and visiting new food places that are within my budget. One such find was a pizza place in London Wandsworth called Pizza Storm. You have two options there – choose a pizza from their menu or create your own pizza with a choice of over 50 toppings. The restaurant has a lovely environment and interior and the ordering system is quite interesting. You could create your own pizza with unlimited toppings for £8.45 or choose one from the menu for £7.45. All their pizzas are 11 inches and are stone baked. They also have a good selected of sides and drinks to go with the pizza. They do a couple of meal deals which are so worth the money. My boyfriend and I visited the place when they newly opened in Wandsworth and had the £15 meal deal. However, their meal deals change regularly so it is better to check their website before you go.

For £15 we got– 2 pizzas, 1 side and 2 drinks. It is one of the best meal deals I have come across. I will definitely go back there as their pizzas are so tasty and so worth the prices. They have only two restaurants – one in Newcastle and the other in London Wandsworth. If you guys are around these areas I do recommend you to check them out.

Food market in London – Borough Market

I had recently visited Borough Market as I had heard so much about it and had been finding the time to visit it. It is located in Southwark near London Bridge station and is one of the oldest markets in London. They have a large variety of stalls from fresh fruits and vegetables to burgers and ethnic foods. They also sell fresh meat, fish and cheese in the market.

I first tried out the scotch eggs from ‘Scotch Tails’. This was the first time I tried freshly made scotch eggs and it was love at first sight. The meat was so flavourful and the crust was very crispy. They serve just the eggs on salad or as a meal deal with scotch eggs and sweet potato chips.

I then tried the Chicken Pad Thai from ‘Khanom Krok’. It was nice but I wish they had fried the chicken a bit further to give it more flavour. However, this is more of a personal taste and not everyone may agree with me. I wanted to try their Coconut Pancakes but I couldn’t as I didn’t want to break my spending limit and I still had to buy dessert/sweets.

 

I then went to the sweets stall where they sold baklava, Turkish sweets and roasted and caramelised nuts. I bought some baklava and called it a day. I loved walking around the market and finding new treats for me to try. It was a lovely experience and since I went when it was quiet, I was able to see what each stall had to offer.

 

If anyone is looking to try rare meat burgers, Borough Market is the place to be. ‘The Exotic Meat Company’ in the market serves ostrich burgers and kangaroo burgers. I haven’t tried them but I have seen many people trying it.

Hope you guys enjoyed reading this post. Take care.

Money saving app – Shopmium

Shopmium Referral Code – AAKGUYUN

Being a budget blogger, I always search in Instagram using the hashtags #budgetblogger #frugal #frugalliving #moneysaving etc. During my searches, I found one prominent thing that many people use. It is an app called Shopmium. After a while, I decided to download it and give it a try. I was quite impressed with this app. There are many ongoing offers in the app such as free items or 30% off or other types of discounts. You get a £3 credit if you refer a friend and your friend gets a freebie. You can use my referral code in the Sign Up page (Mobile app only) if you are downloading this app.

If you find an offer suitable for you, all you have to do is

1. Buy the product shown in the app in the stores that they mention
2. There is a ‘Check Product Eligibility’ in the offer if you are unsure of the right product
3. Keep hold of the receipt after your purchase
4. Open the app and select the offer for the product
5. Click on ‘Request Cashback’
6. Scan the product’s barcode
7. Take a photo of your receipt
8. If your receipt has been accepted, they will send you an email when your cashback is done

They pay you directly into your bank account or PayPal.

I did give it a try and bought the Bahlsen Choco Leibniz biscuits. I followed the steps mentioned above and got my cashback in less than two days. It’s amazing. I got a pack of biscuits FOR FREE. Who does that? Who gives you free stuff in London? I am really liking this app. I hope to save more money using this app.

Hope you guys found this post useful and do let me know if you tried this app out.

Affordable place to eat in London – Kokoro

Recently I came across this restaurant called ‘Kokoro – sushi + bento‘ near Wimbledon train station. Since I wanted a change in my lunch, I went to check it out. They provided affordable and good quality Oriental food. They had a large selection of hot and cold food as well as some drinks. The hot food had two size portions – regular and large.

I chose the regular portion size and I was very happy with how generous the portion size was for under £6. Most food options are under £8. I went for the ‘Sweet and Chilli Chicken’ with rice option. They also do a noodles option if you are not a fan of rice. The ‘Sweet and Chilli Chicken’ was excellent with the right amount of sweet and chilli. Some food places overdo the sweetness which spoils the whole meal. But Kokoro’s Sweet and Chilli was the perfect blend of both spices.

Having a good first experience with Kokoro, I decided to go in for lunch again. This time I went for the regular ‘Chicken Katsu Curry’. Once again I was really happy about how generous they were with the chicken with decent amount of curry sauce. The next time I go, I would probably try the ‘mix and match’ option and go for two different curries with rice.

It is a really quick and convenient food place to go for lunch with good quality, fresh and affordable food. I would recommend it to anyone who likes Oriental food. They have around 12 stores around England. If you want a quicker lunch, they also serve sushi, gyoza, salad and soup.

The Wimbledon store is more of a takeaway type format with limited seating. There is usually a queue during lunch hours; however they do serve food quite quick so there isn’t much of a wait for food.

Do let me know if you try out Kokoro and your feedback on it. 

Have a nice day!

Affordable healthy snacks to try

I decided to have more healthy snacks this year and I have so far successfully stuck to it. I have cut down on crisps, salted snacks and cookies and made way for more healthy snacks. You could have three healthy meals a day, but unknowingly you may add unwanted calories, sugar or salt to your body in the form of sneaky snacks you have between meals.

Sometimes healthy snacks can be expensive, so I tried to compile a list of affordable snacks. Being the lazy student as I am, I also try to find snacks that are easy to make and eat. These are ones that I have tried to snack on when I feel peckish.

• Bananas or Apples – you can get organic bananas and apples at really affordable prices from most shops.
• Unsweetened yogurt or Greek yogurt – I usually buy the unsweetened ones to avoid unwanted added sugar. This gives me more control over the sugar that goes in my yogurt. I usually sweeten it with natural honey.
• Clementines/Easy peelers – mainly because I don’t want to cut up an orange and then eat it.
• Plain almonds – I usally buy the pre-portioned packets of nuts to stop me from eating a full packet of almonds or cashews in one sitting. Smaller packs also make it easier to have it on the go. You could also buy the bigger packs and make smaller ones at home. It can be much cheaper that way.
• Popcorn without any added butter or salt/sugar – not the microwaveable ones. You could either make them at home or buy the healthier air-popped popcorn packs.
• Nut butter and rice cakes –  I love my nut butters, whether it be peanut, almond or cashew. To stop me from going overboard with the nut butter, I stick to two tablespoons each day. If I am on the go, I just take with me the nut butter pouches that are available in most shops these days. I either go for Meridian (100% peanuts) or Pip and Nut (98% peanuts and sea salt) and they have no added sugar.

I buy most of my snacks other than the fruits from Holland and Barrett as they are mostly affordable and they usually have good offers regularly, such as the ‘Buy one get one half price’ happening right now. During such offers I tend to stock up on my essential snacks to help me save money. Why pay full price when you know it will go on offer 🙂 I don’t know what I’ll do without a Holland and Barrett.

I don’t have an Asda nearby. But when I come across one, I pop in to buy some snacks from them as well.

 

Hope you guys found this post useful. Take care

 

 

Product review – Garnier Moisture Bomb Sheet Mask

Couple of weeks ago I bought the Garnier Moisture Bomb Sheet Mask after seeing it everywhere. I bought it for 99p from Boots when it was on sale.

The description on the product states

Super-hydrating revitalising mask 

• Intensely rehydrates skin
• Reduces the look of fine lines
• Revives radiance

Since it was extremely cold for a week in London I thought to give my skin some pampering. I have oily/combination skin and usually my face looks dehydrated after a going out in the cold weather. I was also ill for a couple of days so an intense hydration for my skin was needed.

When I first put it on, it sat on my face well and did not slide off. It contained a lot of serum that I thought it would slide off my face when I stood up – but it didn’t. I didn’t also have a problem with the shape or size of the mask as it fit me quite well and didn’t have much overlapping layers. I felt this nice, cold, tingling sensation on my face, so I thought that the product must be working.

After the stated 15 minutes, I took it off. The mask was still moist and there was quite some serum on my face. I just massaged it into my face and left it there to dry before going to bed.

The next day I saw that my skin looked plumper and radiant. But as the days got on I felt that the oily parts of my face were a bit more oily. So the mask has worked and given me hydration and plumpness. However, I felt that the oily zones of my face got more oily/hydrated that it felt a bit sticky. But the hydration lasted a good few days.

This mask would world well with normal or dry skin however not so much with my oily/combination skin. I would stick to using it only during the harsh, cold winter months when my skin is really dry. I have also seen some reviews that it was harsh on some sensitive skin people. So please do be careful if you have sensitive skin.

Hope you guys found this post useful. Take care.

Post-Valentine’s Day sales tips

Now that all the hype of Valentine’s Day has gone by, it is the start of the Post-Valentines’s Day sales. Now is the right time to buy those discounted flowers, chocolates and other VDay themed items you had your eyes on.

• If you regularly buy flowers for your home or would just like to decorate your room, now is the right time to buy those big bouquets of flowers as they are literally half price or less. Most stores and supermarkets will be reducing the prices as they will be looking to sell off all their Valentine’s Day flowers and stock quickly. So go get them before they are all gone.
• It is also the right time to buy chocolates. You could buy discounted chocolates and stock them up if you have any occasions coming up. Easter is also less than two months away so you could give them away as gifts (that is if the chocolates last that long at your house). However, do we really need a reason to buy chocolates 😀 . If you think that heart-shaped chocolates cannot be given as gifts, you could buy milk or dark chocolates and use them in recipes that need them – like in muffins or cookies.
• Similar to my Post-Christmas sales tip, Valentine’s Day themed wrapping papers and gift bags can be bought at discounted prices. You can stock these up as wrapping paper that has hearts on or other love messages can also be used on gifts for anniversaries, loved ones birthdays or generally any gifts to your loved ones. If they are plain red, pink or white/cream in colour, it is more versatile as they could be used to wrap gifts for a little girl’s birthday or for Easter/Christmas gifts. The same goes for gift bags.
• Last but not least, anything Valentine’s Day themed will be on sale. I had my eye on a couples heart and arrow key chain when it came in store for VDay. It was priced at £4. However, I knew the price would go down and so I waited and bought them today for £1. It may not seem much of a difference to others but saving £3 is a big thing for me. Now I have the heart key chain and my boyfriend has the arrow key chain. Many mugs and plates are also on sale – maybe stock up on those as well.

 

Hope you guys enjoyed reading this post. Take care and have a nice day,

Valentine’s Day on a budget – Part 2

Hi guys. This is Part 2 of my Valentine’s Day on a budget post. If you haven’t checked out Part 1, you can do so here. As I mentioned in Part 1, these tips usually suit those couples who have been married/in a relationship for a longer period of time as there will be an understanding as to why you are celebrating a Valentine’s Day on a budget. Usually those new-in a relationship tends to find this day as a day to showcase their love and buy lavish gifts. Anyway here a two more budget tips.

• Check out voucher websites

As mentioned in my first tip in Part 1, there is no shame in using voucher codes or coupons to pay your bill. If you both understand that you got to save money for future goals/purchases, it will definitely be OK. However, make sure that your code is valid to use on Valentine’s as some restaurants exclude certain days. Some loyalty card companies also offer deals to turn your points into vouchers to pay for your meal or for romantic days out. Look out for such emails or check out their websites to help you get these vouchers.

For example –

Tesco’s is currently doing an offer with its Clubcard points. Check out this link.

Many voucher code websites also offer fantastic discounts on chocolates and flowers. Buying such things online is another way to save money. Just by doing a quick Google search, you will be able to find such deals.

Food for thought – do you really need to buy that huge bouquet and a box of chocolates to impress your partner? Trust me, the prices of those bouquets literally get slashed to half price the next day and I have seen so many men buy the reduced priced bouquets. However, it is your call, if you think that it is within your budget, go ahead and buy them at regular price. If you think that chocolates and flowers are not that important, you could save that money and buy a gift that your partner will actually like and cherish for a longer period of time. Chocolates and flowers are short-lived gifts so why not buy them a gift that will last longer.

• DIY it

If you think you are good at DIYs, then this is a right time to give it a go. Instead of buying expensive cards or gifts, you could try to make a card yourself. You could get cheap art and craft materials from pound shops or stationeries and create a card of your choice. You could personalise it as you want and include your own personal message.

You could also follow easy DIY gift tutorials on YouTube to give a handmade gift to your partner. They will appreciate the time, effort and thought you put in that gift and it is also a sign of affection. They will probably cherish it more than any store bought gift. You know your partner best, so you only know what to get them.

I hope these tips have helped you in some way to help to celebrate your Valentine’s Day. Have a wonderful one guys. Take care.

Valentine’s Day on a budget – Part 1

With a week remaining for Valentine’s Day, every couple’s thought would be “What shall we do for this Valentine’s?” For those on a budget, this is even a tougher question to answer. So I have compiled a list of tips for those trying to celebrate Valentine’s Day on a budget. This is Part 1 of 2. These tips will suit more for those who have been in a relationship for a longer period of time. This is because those new in a relationship often find this romantic day as a day to splash out and impress their dates.

• Eating out on a budget

If you have been in a relationship/married for a while, there is no shame in choosing to use a voucher on a meal or selecting the cheaper set menu the restaurant offers. Usually during this period, many restaurants offer set menu deals for Valentine’s Day which are often at affordable prices.

For example –

Strada is doing a 2 courses + prosecco deal from £19.95. Pizza Express is doing a similar meal deal from £16.95.

Prezzo’s Valentine’s Day deal – 3 courses for £22.95 or 2 courses for £19.95. This also includes a glass of prosecco.

Just choose a lovely location such as by the river or go to your partner’s favourite restaurant.

• Eating at home

If you choose to stay at home and eat in, you have two options. The first option is to cook your partner’s favourite meal. There are so many recipes online these days to help you cook easy meals or less time-consuming meals at home. You could even choose recipes based on what you have at home so you don’t have to go out and buy ingredients for just one meal.

The second option, which is also a lazier option is to order take away. These days many supermarkets have started to offer Valentine’s Day meal deals which you can also go for. These deals usually come out on the 9th/10th of February, so check out their websites or go in-store to find more about the deals.

For example –

Tesco’s Valentine’s meal deal – 2 sides, 2 mains, 2 desserts and a choice of wine or chocolates for £20

Waitrose is doing a £20 meal deal with 3 courses and a bottle of fizz

Morrisons is doing a £10 meal deal with 1 side, 1 main, 1 dessert and 1 drink

Check out you local supermarket for the deals they do and have a romantic night in.

 

NB. All prices are correct on the date of publishing this post.