London Vegfest 2014 Part 3

So here's the third and final instalment of my Vegfest posts. Apart from having a fab time checking out all the awesome stalls and stuffing my face I spent some time in the cinema area where they were showing some interesting documentaries. I had planned to watch one in-particular and that was 'Cowspiracy.' I had already watched the trailer a couple of weeks prior to the event and when I heard that they were showing it I wanted to make sure I got a good seat.

'Cowspiracy: The Sustainability Secret' is most definitely a must see, minus the distressing parts which I just couldn't bring myself to watch. You may want to look away during a certain part when they are talking about back-yard farming if you get around to watching it. Kip Andersen, co-producer/director of the film documentary does a heap load of research and discovers that animal agriculture is the leading cause of global warming and most of the other things that are going wrong in the world such as rainforest destruction and species extinction. It's incredibly eye-opening. Watch the trailer provided below.

I managed to catch a couple of comedians, one being the quirky and a little crazy Harriet Kemsley (look her up) and Vegan Smythe who writes and performs songs related to Veganism. He earned himself a standing ovation at the end of his very amusing set.

I should have made an effort to catch some more entertainment and talks, I suppose this is where a weekend ticket would have been useful. It's worth attending both days just to fit everything in. Overall I had a great time and can't wait to attend another 'Vegfest' event in the near future.

London Vegfest 2014 Part Two

There was a wide range of cooked food available at Vegfest, so as I was around from opening to closing I had both my lunch and dinner there. I tried my best not to fill myself up on chocolate samples because I had already had my heart set on a hot dog from 'Vegusto.' I wasn't disappointed, the hot dog was tasty and I was left happy and ready to venture on.

When I went to check out the stalls upstairs I discovered 'Big Fat Vegan Bakery'. There was a swarm of people around their stall so I went to see what all the fuss was about. When I feasted my eyes on some of their cakes I knew I had to have one. I chose the apple strudel and I loved it. Unfortunately 'Big Fat Vegan Bakery' is based in Bognor Regis, a little bit too far for me to travel for cakes but if I'm ever in the area I would definitely look them up.

Towards the end of the event I was feeling hungry again so I bought a Pad Thai at Bang Wok who were very enthusiastic when preparing their noodles. I liked it but didn't love it. I think it was because I was expecting it to taste like Wagamama but it didn't. The taste was a little sharp for my liking but it didn't stop me from scoffing the lot.

I wish I could have ate more as there were many stalls selling different types of food but I would have most certainly popped. So I took some photos of the food stalls instead.

'Meat Free Monday'

Hitting the news today, Paul McCartney records a new song to raise awareness on the environmental impacts of eating meat. Paul recruited some of his celebrity friends to appear in the video to help get the point across. I've never really been a big fan of Paul McCartney but this song is quite catchy and I'm all for promoting vegetarianism in the media. This ones a win for me.

Vegan Product of the Week: LUSH Bubblegum Lip Scrub

Today I am introducing a new feature to my blog. I will be posting 'Vegan Product of the Week' every Friday evening and it will include a product that I find exceptional. All views are my own and based on my personal taste so anything that I find to be exceptional, someone else may not. The first product I want to share with you is the sweet, juicy smelling 'Bubblegum Lip Scrub' from LUSH. It comes in a handy little compact glass jar (ideal for your overnight/make-up bag) and contains some simple ingredients that have a great impact on your lips.

All you have to do is rub it in (I use a circular motion) making sure you cover every inch of your lips. It leaves them smooth and ready to apply your favourite lip balm. I wouldn't recommend you do this before a night out as it makes you look like you've just snogged a stubbly man. Add it to your evening facial care routine. There's no need to rinse, just lick it off as it's also edible (although I tend to rinse a little then lick). This lip scrub is priced at £5.50 and comes in two other flavours. It is made with caster sugar and organic jojoba oil along with a couple of other things so you could probably make your own if you don't want to splash out on LUSH's prices.

Uneducated Meat-Eaters

I have heard a lot of things since becoming vegetarian but one of the most common discussions that I have had to endure from some people who try and justify being a meat-eater is... 'but man was made/evolved to eat animals'. Recently I came across a brilliant video on YouTube that explains the complete opposite.

Now, while I respect the decision of others who don't want to become vegetarian or vegan, I would suggest that they research and educate themselves before sharing their views. I would respect them more if they were to just come out and say they couldn't possibly give up the habit of eating meat because they like it too much. After all, I was a meat-eater once but I had never used comments like that when talking to vegetarians.

Review: Rice Dream

As part of my diet I would like to consume less dairy products for ethical reasons. I began this by exploring milk substitutes. I have never been that keen on 'Alpro', maybe because of the consistency or texture although I have recently taken a liking to 'Alpro' vanilla but I couldn't quite see myself pouring it on my breakfast cereal as it's quite sweet.

When I was in 'Waitrose' the other day I decided to try a different brand and picked up 'Rice Dream'. It contains less sugar than 'Alpro' (only containing natural occurring sugars). Other benefits are that it contains calcium with vitamins D2 and B12, it's low in fat and has all natural ingredients with no stabilisers or emulsifiers. It is gluten free and can be used in baking (recipes on their website).

The first thing I did when I got it home was a taste test. I shook it first (always shake) and poured it into a glass. My first initial thought was 'yuck' but I put aside the watery appearance and the little white bits and drank it. I could definitely distinguish the rice taste (probably because it's made with rice haha). I could tell that I preferred it to Alpro but I wasn't entirely sure I had come to the end of my quest to find a milk substitute that I love.

It was great on my cereal but in my tea I wasn't convinced. It turned it dark brown but it was drinkable (but I don't want to settle with drinkable). So before I consider returning to 'Rice Dream' (winner of superior taste award 2012) I will continue to try other brands. Wish me luck!

Review: Space Girl and Butterball LUSH Bath Bombs

If you like a lot of fizz in your bath bombs, this one is for you.The air filled with the smell of parma violets as the water turned a purpley/pinky colour. There's always something whimsical about taking a bath in coloured bath water (or is that just me being weird?).

This is a non greasy bath bomb so it didn't leave an unwanted tide mark in the bath. It left a very subtle fragrance on my skin, so subtle that only people with an acute sense of smell may notice it. I can't say it had any moisturising properties though which is one of the main qualities I love in a bath bomb. If you want a bath bomb that leaves the skin moisturised Butterball is ideal for this.

This is one of my favourite LUSH products. I often forget to moisturise after a bath and this bath bomb does it all for you in the bath. This is brilliant if you are strapped for time. Tiny pearls of cocoa butter are released into the water and cling to the skin. The only down side is that it also clings to the bath. Whenever I buy a new LUSH haul, this is the product I pick up every time.

Both bath bombs are Vegan.
Space Girl £2.35
Butterball £2.50

Review: Goody GOOD STUFF - Cola Breeze

More brands like this one are starting to cater for Vegetarians because we need sweets like this too. The iconic cola bottle sweets are now gelatin free and tasting as good as ever. These soft chewy sweets covered in a tangy sugar are incredibly difficult to stop eating after you have opened the packet. I loved them and I think anyone else with a sweet tooth like me would love them too.

Goody GOOD STUFF's Cola Breeze is dairy free, gluten free, fat free and contains all natural flavours. I bought them in my local branch of Waitrose for £1 but if you go on the sweet manufacturers website you can locate a stockist closest to you using their store-finder.

I for one are looking forward to tracking down other packs in this range. Any recommendations?

Review: Dragons Egg LUSH Bathbomb

LUSH is one of my favourite shops for bath products. They are against animal cruelty in a big way and always actively participate in various animal rights campaigns. The majority of their products are Vegan but the ones that aren't are most certainly Vegetarian Society approved. You can pick up one of their guide books in-store to find out more about each product if you are unsure. They normally display a Vegan or Vegetarian logo at the end of each product description which may also be the case in-store with their signs.

'Dragons egg' was described to me as "a party in a bath" by one of LUSH's extremely helpful sales assistants. Unfortunately, when using it in my bath the other day I was left a little disappointed. I suppose I was expecting something dramatic to happen but as soon as I had dropped it into my bath all it did was froth. It frothed until I got bored watching it so I therefore gave it a helping hand by swishing it around the water. The first layer uncovered a couple of confetti pieces but livened up a little when it hit the second layer releasing some popping candy.

Once I finally got into the bath, I waded through the white and orange froth covering the surface to reveal the golden glittery water underneath (probably the only thing that impressed me about this bath bomb). There was a subtle citricy sherbet smell but it was nothing to go crazy over and I can't say it did a great deal for my skin (well not that I noticed anyway). when the water had drained from the bath there was a noticeable tide mark of glitter covering it but a quick scrub is all that was needed.


All in all I thought that 'Dragons egg' dubbed the 'multilayered spectacle' may have been a little over-rated. I didn't hate it but it wasn't amazing. By all means, try it for yourself and let me know what you think about it. 'Dragons egg' is a Vegan product priced £3.25 in LUSH stores.

Review: GOOD THINGS Miracle Mattifier Moisturiser

I've been using this product for about a year now and I love it. It's ideal for use under make-up as it absorbs any excess oils from the skin. It contains natural ingredients, is free-from animal ingredients and harmful parabens and clearly states on the back of the tube that it's suitable for Vegetarians and Vegans.

When applying, remember that a little goes a long way and spreads very easily. This moisturiser has a subtle fragrance of berries but isn't very noticeable after application. It dries quickly after, so you don't have to wait around too long before putting your foundation on. I try not to use it on a daily basis as I don't want to dry the oils in my skin out too much but if you have oily skin then it's ideal for more frequent use.

It comes boxed and is sold in Boots priced at £7.99 from what I can remember but it's cheaper at £5.33 on their website. There are other products in this range which I haven't tried. If you have your own opinion of this product or brand then please leave a comment below.

An Introduction

Being vegetarian for about 6 years now, I'm always on the lookout for veggie lifestyle tips and information but I noticed many of the blogs I read are US based and as much as I like reading them I find that they are not very useful. So I have created this blog to help others in the same situation who would like to find good cruelty free products and vegetarian/vegan friendly restaurants and to connect with people with similar ethical views.

I decided to become vegetarian during a 2 year Animal Management course. It opened my eyes to a lot of things but I have never forced my opinions onto others. Within the last year or two I have become increasingly aware of the many companies that still test on animals so I began the transition to replace the items I use with cruelty-free certified products. I still have a little way to go before replacing every single one but I'm on the right track and I'm proud to make the change.

At the moment I'm finding it difficult obtaining quality make-up products that are not tested on animals, don't cost the earth and easy to find in UK stores, so I welcome any suggestions. Please subscribe/follow if you want to read reviews and join in with any veggie lifestyle chit-chat. Grab a cuppa and enjoy.