Review: Vego Whole Hazelnut Chocolate Bar

I recently ordered a taster pack from Vegusto full of some of their different no-moo cheeses and meats just to get a taste of what their products are like (post to come, don't worry!) - but I couldn't leave it there. In true online shopping style I just had to scrutinise every category on their online store before deciding on what to finalise. I'd heard aaaamazing things about the Vego hazelnut bars and had full faith in my peers. So I ordered five big ones... Go hard or go home right?!

I never normally jump straight into anything, especially not committing to five of something I didn't even know that I'd like. But can I just gloat here and say that it was the best jump I made as far as dairy free chocolate goes? Because I'm smug and full of wonderful junk food!

The bars come in 150g or 65g individually wrapped (obvs opt for the bigger ones, trust me). And each huge chunk tastes like a creamy, smooth Nutella that literally melts in the mouth. It's unlike some vegan chocolates which doesn't seem to melt at all and leaves that horrible powdery aftertaste. You could honestly pass this onto a non-vegan and they wouldn't know the difference. Not that you'd even want to share given how heavenly the taste is and how *ahem* pricey they are. It's always frustrating to know that if you were willing to consume dairy, or any animal products, you'd pay less and have a wider range. But scratch below the surface, shop around and you'll definitely be better off.

Vego bars aren't too easy to get ahold of here in the UK, at least not without hefty shipping fees. I'd recommend getting them at Vegusto right now because they're running an offer at buy 4 get 1 free in both the smaller and larger bars. Trust me, you won't want to stop at just the one. I made a pledge to myself to stick to one square as it turns out it's fairly sickly, but not even 24 hours later and I'm craving it. Vego, what have you done to me?!

Verdict: 5/5 - absolutely amazing and you should all 100% try if you haven't already. I mean it. Buy some now *dribbles*

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What a difference (almost) a year makes.

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In true blogging style, early last year I hit the ground running and updated regularly only to fall at the first hurdle: consistency. I took a year out to deal with personal obstacles as I felt this/blogging "wasn't me". It turns out, it probably is me after all. Who knew, eh?

The problem is, I like having a creative outlet but I hate the idea of criticism. Critics will be everywhere no matter what you achieve or how you get there. I probably should have grasped this earlier on but what's a little personal growth?!


So here's what's going on in my life right now because, as titled, almost a year can make all the difference.
To start off, I'm now in my second year at university, huzzah! My first year did not go as well as I thought it would, both personally and academically. This time last year I was living in halls with five people I had only known a matter of months and whom I mostly had nothing in common with. Being an introvert I probably should have taken into consideration that moving in with five strangers in their late-teens, with no grasp of how to be independent, wasn't going to be easy. I got through it though (yay) and even managed to pass with 2:1s and 1sts all round.

I am also in the process of adopting a full vegan diet. In the last year I turned back onto a vegetarian diet, and late discovered I'm lactose-intolerant. At first my thoughts were, "WHY HAS SUCH CURSE BEEN BESTOWED UPON ME?! WHAT HAVE I DONE TO NOT DESERVE THE ABILITY TO DIGEST CHEESE?!" but I stepped back and thought about what I was putting into my body. I researched how to adapt food and recipes to suit my nutritional needs. I researched the effects of dairy and egg farming, and how this effects the animals involved, our bodies and the environment. I'm not here to preach to anyone or morph your beliefs into my own, I'm here to share with you how I'm coping with a new diet and frankly how wonderful I feel because of it. Which leads me onto my next point...

Following new dietary requirements means an excuse to cook and bake and create food to my hearts content! And I love it! I've had successes that I want to share with you all (brownies that stay moist and omg just wait) and failures I want to adapt (vegan Yorkshire puddings that look' and probably taste, like hockey pucks). Coming from a family that generally avoids dairy products due to hereditary lactose-intolerance but stills consumes a hell of a lot of meat, I love hearing people say "This is great!" and are shocked when you tell them it's cruelty free. Excuse the smugness... Soz.


I have loads more to share with you all! And hopefully over the coming weeks/months/years (least see how long I can blog this time :-) ) we can all share together.

Wow, that sounded Cheezly cheesy!

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Camera tips: Canon 600d

I finally have a charger for my camera so any excuse to take a high quality selfie and put that on the internet really. I definitely think that purchasing in a decent image capturing device is a great investment. I love love love it. It's so lovely to be able to think, 'Hey I could so take a nice photograph right now because of this lil' gadget' rather than miss a moment or deal with a low quality phone camera.'

What I'm using isn't the best by any means, but it works for me! In 2012 I bought a Canon 600d which has a flippy screeny thing and settings and wonderful things you need to take pictures of whatever you fancy. Probably the least techy way of describing anything, but you get the picture (ha ha).

DO invest in a bag for your new little fella, especially if you're spending quite a lot of pennies on it. It doesn't have to be stylish - although by all means it can be - just make sure it's sturdy and has enough compartments for all your accessories. Basically, as long as you can fit in your actual camera, the charger, maybe another lens if yours accommodates that and that's the basics.

Get a strap! If it doesn't come with one, you can get them fairly cheap on Amazon or eBay so there's no excuse. I feel like I need one because I drop everything, and I mean EVERYTHING. Sometimes I just forget to keep holding onto stuff. Not sure why, but there you go.

Make sure that if your lens gets all mucky with general dust or sticky fingers or whatever, use wipes catered for lenses. Generally regular tissues or towels (or the bottom of your t-shirt) leaves tiny fibres behind that, if anything, just make your situation worse. Again, these are pretty inexpensive.

Also, memory card. Duh, where else are you going to store your photographs? Exactly. I'm currently using a 16gb one which has more than enough space for me to take loads of pictures even when I forget to delete the old ones and move them to a file on my computer. Woops.

Finally, don't spend all your savings or money you simply don't have on a camera you're rarely going to use or won't ever know how to use. This probably goes for any gadget, but you know what I mean. You can get good DSLRs for a fair price what with all the new brands and such flying about it these days. Just check out reviews beforehand, maybe speak to someone instore who can help you make the best choice for you, and if you're buying online check out the retailer before throwing your money at them. You don't want to waste what could be hundreds of £££ (or $$$ or whatever).



P.S. I didn't work out until taking a picture of my camera that I couldn't use said camera, thus resorting back to my phone. The struggles are real, my friends.

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Models Own haul

Models Own recently reached a huge 250,000 likes on Facebook which meant great things for everyone: a 50% off code! Although sets are excluded from the code the new Hyper Gel collection was available with limited stock -  a presale before their in store release later this month!

Here's what I picked up: (L-R) Velvet Goth in Obsidian, Mirrorball in Boogie Nights, Mirrorball in Disco Inferno, Beetlejuice in Purple Blue, Hyper Gel in Pink Veneer, Hype Gel in Naked Glow, Wonderland in Northern Lights. I also treated myself to Lip-Stix in Raspberry Cool.

I must say that the new Hyper Gel formula is to die for. It's super glossy and opaque after only two coats - not to mention cheaper and better for your nails than getting gels done. I've used Barry M's Gelly nail varnishes before and found that even with a good base/top coat they had very little wear in them. So far the Hyper Gel formula is proving to be better quality with no chips in sight yet!


Use discount code: HALFPRICE to recieve 50% off online purchases at modelsownit.com - valid until Tuesday 4th February 2014.

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