● Laura Thornberry ● Lifestyle Blogger ● London Based ●

AD - GIFTED | When it comes to sweet treats, Macarons are one of the most delicious and luxurious treats out there. There's so much creativity, time and skill that are involved in making them, it's incredible and these marvellous macarons from The English Rose Bakery are no exception!

"The bakery was founded in June 2010 but the idea came a year or so before that when Emma Brown fell in love with the French ‘Macaron’ one weekend on a visit to Laduree in Zurich. After living and working in Switzerland for 4 years Emma gave up her steady day job with the dream to open a macaron shop back in Manchester."

"The French ‘Macaron’ or English ‘Macaroon’ comes from the Italian word ‘Maccarone’ which is derived from ‘ammaccare’ meaning to crush or beat, in this case used in reference to the almonds which are the principal ingredient in our delicious English Rose Bakery macarons."

I was kindly gifted a box of fourteen delicious macarons* which included the following amazing flavours; Vanilla, Pistachio, Raspberry, Strawberries & Cream, Peanut Butter, Salted Caramel, Rose, Chocolate, Matcha Tea, Praline, Banana, Hazelnut & Nutella and Chestnut. As you can see below, the flavours you get are marked out, so you know exactly what each macaron is which is such a helpful little extra.

- Vanilla - This had such a super sweet vanilla taste that was simply perfect.

- Pistachio - For me, pistachios have such a distinctive flavour, such a rich, nutty taste, that you either love it or hate it.

- Raspberry - This was so super fresh and fruity. You got both the sweet and sour taste of the raspberry that really brought the flavours together to make one delicious macaron.

- Strawberries & Cream - Strawberries & Cream macaron was absolutely delicious. There was such a fresh and fruity strawberry flavour, topped off with a rich creamy taste. Would definitely get more of these!

- Peanut Butter - Until recently, I hated Peanut Butter. But this macaron wasn't too strong and overpowering with flavour which was perfect for me.

- Salted Caramel - Salted Caramel anything is one of my favourite flavours. Coffees, chocolates, you name it, I love it! So this macaron was always going to be a winner with me. Rich caramel with a hint of sea salt is just a perfect combination

- Rose - This flavour of macaron was quite heavily perfumed and overpowering for my liking. It definitely tasted how you would expect roses to taste like, but it wouldn't be something I would choose for myself again.

- Chocolate - If you're a chocolate lover, the chocolate macaron would definitely be a winner with you. It had such a rich and luxurious chocolate taste, with a thick ganache inside. Simply delicious!

- Matcha Tea - Matcha Tea was a very unusual taste and flavour for a macaron I thought. It had a slightly bitter flavour but a very fragrant smell to it.

- Praline - To me, this macaron wasn't anything too special. It has a creamy, nutty flavour, but I found it a little too sugary and sickly.

- Banana - The banana macaron was definitely one of my favourites. The banana flavouring was so strong, it tasted incredible! It really reminded me of those foamy banana sweets or the Nesquik powder milkshakes.

- Hazelnut & Nutella - This macaron was 10/10 delicious. Who doesn't love Nutella?!?!

- Chestnut - Again, another weird flavour for a sweet treat. Similarly to the rose macaron, chestnut wasn't one of my favourites simply as I didn't find the taste to be quite right.

- Espresso Mocha - A macaron with a hint of coffee is definitely a winner with me. This has such a nice coffee flavour, with a hint of chocolate. Yum!

As you can see from my mini reviews of each flavour, I was definitely impressed with the majority of the macarons I was kindly sent. My favourite flavours were definitely the Banana and Hazelnut & Nutella. I could eat them all day long!

The English Rose Bakery macarons come beautifully packaged in such a sleek box, with a simple company logo. The addition of the gold ribbon is a great little touch, especially if you are purchasing them for a gift for someone special or a friend, it just adds that luxurious, high end feel.

Have you heard of The English Rose Bakery before? What are your favourite flavours of macarons?

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When it comes to skincare, I'm pretty much 99.9% sure all my products come from the drugstore. I've tried and tested so many products, which has allowed me to see what works and what doesn't for my skin type. This has also let me see if I want to repurchase the product, or try and find something similar that would be more suitable for my skincare needs.

One product that I have been repurchasing time and time again has been the Superdrug Naturally Radiant Brightening Hot Cloth Cleanser. A cleanser infused with plant extracts, formulated to help give your skin a natural glow, as well as gently cleansing and exfoliating. It's very similar to the ever so popular Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish. I've used this before, and yes it's very good, but when you can get a similar product from the drugstore, at an affordable price, I know what I'm going for!

Infused with plant extracts with some great skin benefits;

- Kiwi Fruit Extract; a source of Vitamin C, which has great ability to help brighten and even out skin tone, as well as being an antioxidant protection against free radicals.

- Mulberry Fruit Extract; has strong brightening properties which can help to reduce discolouration and even out skin tone.

- Cocoa Butter; a rich emollient that is great for skin softening and conditioning.

This cleanser has such a thick and creamy texture, which feels so soothing and luxurious upon the skin. The beautiful moisturising Cocoa Butter creates a rich and creamy formulation for the product that simply melts into the skin and cleanses away make-up and impurities. It leaves your skin looking more radiant and plump, as well as feeling silky and smooth.

The scent of the Hot Cloth Cleanser is very spa-like. It smells so fresh and clean, that I look forward to using every single night. A little bit goes a long way! You only need a 10p amount of product for your whole face. It's a dream to use.

To apply, I squeeze a small amount of product into my hands, add a small drop of water and gently massage the creamy cleanser into my face. The cleanser is so gentle, it's perfect to use of the eye area to remove any mascara, and especially good for those with sensitive skin, like myself. After a couple minutes of massaging the cleanser into my skin, I would then rinse the muslin cloth or just a face cloth in hand-hot water and wring out before wiping off the cleanser, taking care around the eye area as the skin there is very delicate. Finishing off with splash of cold water to refresh the skin.

RRP £5.99

Have you tried the Superdrug Naturally Radiant Brightening Hot Cloth Cleanser? What are your favourite cleansers?

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When it comes to haircare, Aussie have been my go-to hair brand for as long as I can remember. To me, the brand is just so good, I have featured them multiple times on my blog over the years, including this post - 4 Aussie haircare products you need to try. I've tried so many of the Aussie haircare ranges, you only need to smell all the products to fall in love with them, and I know if my hair is in need of some TLC - Aussie is a brand that I repeatedly go back to as I know that their products work for my hair type and they can ALWAYS sort me out when I'm having a bad hair day!

“There's more to life than hair, but it's a good place to start”

- The Aussie Philosophy -

My holy grail hair treatment. The Aussie 3 Minute Miracle Moisture Deep Treatment is the only remedy you need for dry, damaged and thirsty hair. I use this deep conditioner once a week, all year round, but during the colder months, I use this twice as I like to keep my hair shiny and healthy during the colder, harsher weather. A hair treatment with Australian Macadamia Nut Oil - a lightweight oil that is quickly absorbed without feeling greasy, as well as being highly nourishing and softening. The perfect addition to your winter haircare routine.

Something new that I've tried from Aussie is the Miracle Mega Kool Kiwi Berry Dry Shampoo. I've used Batiste in the past, but Aussie have stolen my heart with their new Miracle Dry Shampoo. Designed for those with normal or greasy hair, the dry shampoo refreshes the hair instantly and without make it look dull or leave any white residue. Formulated with Australian Jojoba Seed Extract - this is rich in vitamins and minerals that nourish hair, prevent hair loss and promote hair thickness. Like all Aussie products, the scent is to die for. With a beautiful, light berry aroma, it's so sweet and fresh, you'll definitely be getting ask what smells so good!

This product, the Aussie 3 Miracle Oil Lightweight Treatment was so good, I dedicated a full blog post review to it! Intensive lightweight oil treatment for damaged hair, packed with Australian Macadamia Nut Oil, Jojoba Seed Oil and Avocado Oil- the perfect haircare combination! With a non-greasy formula, I like to use the Reconstructor on damp hair to help repair the smoothness and give my hair some much needed moisture after washing, as well as on dry hair for amazing shine effect and to tame any frizz. One of my most used and repurchased hair oils, it simply helps your hair look silky, smooth and fabulously shiny. What more could you ask for?

The Aussie Mega Shampoo is the perfect product to use for hair that wants to be clean every day. This daily shampoo packed with Kangaroo Paw Flower extract, helps to cleanse the hair and scalp, and leaves you with beautiful, shiny locks. The shampoo lathers up really well, so you can work it into the hair and scalp for a good, deep clean. Maybe even a little head massage whilst you're there works wonders. After washing and drying, I'm left with super light, bouncy hair that makes you feel a solid 10/10!

What are your favourite Aussie Haircare products? Have you tried any featured in this post?

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