Showing posts with label Lisa Snowdon. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Lisa Snowdon. Show all posts

Thursday, 25 May 2023

BALANCE ME

 Hi there

Today I'm talking about the amazing skin care range BALANCE ME, which can be found at www.balanceme.com.  I first came across this incredible brand during the lock down whilst watching the gorgeous, Lisa Snowdon on Instagram.  Lisa, a TV Presenter, Celebrity Master Chef Winner, Author and Brand Ambassador did a post covering Balance Me products and the brand.  I took advantage of the collab offer she had at the time and have not looked back, I truly love the products, they make my aging skin feel rejuvenated, plumped up, hydrated and healthy, I just had to share this with you.

When swatting up for this post it quickly became apparent that I was unlikely to do this incredible company and its founders' justice, so I have tried to highlight the main uniqueness of what I learned and hope that it will inspire you to delve deeper and follow the links I have attached to lead you on your own journey of exploration!

Who are "BALANCE ME"?

Balance Me is co-founded by two sisters, Clare and Rebecca Hopkins.  Back in 2005 long term stresses and 21st century fast paced living had taken its toll on their health and skin.  They were experiencing everything from sensitive skin reactions to hormonal breakouts and they were eager to turn to natural skincare to balance their skin.   


Clare & Rebecca Hopkins (Courtesy: Balance Me Website)
 

Rebecca retrained as a reflexologist after working both in Paris and London for a Global beauty giant; Clare harnessed her passion for aromatherapy, having discovered the power of essential oils as a student, and travelled the world to learn yoga, saying goodbye to a successful business career in the City. 
 
In the name of balancing skin and minds, as well as doing good for the environment, Balance Me was born. 
 
Both Clare and Rebecca were meticulous in ensuring Balance Me lived up to its name to deliver balanced, happy skin – naturally – for every skin type, solving skin concerns without creating others.  



Balance Me is very proud to hold B Corp status, an achievement not to be taken lightly.  B Corp certification is an ongoing commitment to continue to be assessed, to strive for even better scores and ways to improve the business.



What is B Corporation?

B Corp Certification is the World's leading measure of how consciously a business makes its products, treats its people, chooses its suppliers, governs its actions, respects its community and helps the environment.  All certified stakeholders adhere to:

The Declaration of Interdependence

We envision a global economy that uses business as a force for good. This economy is comprised of a new type of corporation - the B Corporation - which is purpose-driven and creates benefit for all stakeholders, not just shareholders. As B Corporations and leaders of this emerging economy, we believe:

That we must be the change we seek in the world. 

That all business ought to be conducted as if people and place matter. 

That, through their products, practices, and profits, businesses should aspire to do no harm and benefit all. 

To do so requires that we act with the understanding that we are each dependent upon another and thus responsible for each other and future generations.

Being B Corp Certified is a really big deal and demonstrates that Balance Me not only create brilliant skincare, but show respect and care to the people in their business, our planet and their profit.

In their own words:

"When we first started Balance Me, we wanted to create a brand that helped women like you feel good about their skin, using the best blend of natural ingredients we could find to achieve that.  However, what has also been at the heart of everything we do, is ensuring we’re responsible. That is why we’re so excited to make our official B Corp announcement!

 

In short, it shows our commitment to balancing people, planet and profit.  We are now part of a wider Global movement that is committed to making business a force for good.  We’ve lived and breathed these standards from the very beginning, however now we have the B Corp framework to help us achieve even more.

 

Thanks for your ongoing support on this journey."

 

Clare + Rebecca Hopkins

Co-Founders, Balance Me



Balance Me creates skincare with purpose:

  
"...20% of our profits going to charity, where we are responsible with our sustainable packaging and where we award our employees with private healthcare that rewards them for staying active. And we will not stop there. We are constantly improving our social and environmental performance with transparency and accountability. 
Simply put, we are championing for change within the skincare space."  

Balance Me has actively supported many charities over the years including; Beauty Banks, House of St Barnabas, Surfers Against Sewage, Hackney Food Bank and Shelter to get products to those under the poverty line, with product donations, team volunteering and monetary donations.


For 2023, Balance Me are thrilled to donate 20% of profit in products to their official charity partner; The Hygiene Bank.

"Everyone has the right to be clean"



Lisa Snowdon's Super Hydrating Trio Offer!


And, as if all of the above isn't enough, you simply cannot afford to miss out on the latest Collab Offer with Lisa, pop over to BALANCE ME and grab yourself this incredible collection - Lisa's Super Hydrating Trio.



You can learn all about this fabulous Trio by watching the most recent Self Care Sunday slot on Lisa's Insta, she has a fun LIVE chat with the lovely Rebecca from Balance Me.  They take you through the products and show you how to apply and what the benefits are.  Lisa's Self Care Sunday slots are always a must for me, they are informal and fun and she puts so much into researching and supporting great brands.  


WATCH LISA'S LIVE HERE!




Don't forget to join the Loyalty Club at Balance Me to stack up your points.



Thank you so much for taking the time to visit the blog, I hope you will be inspired to try out the products for yourself, please leave your comments below, I would love to hear if you found this useful and what products you tried out.

All the best

Nicky :) 


Tuesday, 21 February 2023

PANCAKE DAY!

 Hi everyone

How could I not enjoy a few pancakes on Shrove Tuesday 2023!! Of course I couldn't, so I have prepared a few little videos and bits of info for you to enjoy while you're munching your way through your own yummy pancakes later.

For today's recipe I have chosen to cook American-Style Pancakes which are my favourite and very simple to make.  I thought I would share with you my recipe and show you how to make your own, I am really happy to be using my Thermomix this year which I will be blogging about in a few weeks time, don't worry though you can still follow my recipe with a normal food mixer or hand whisk and the results will be just as delicious 😋

Menopause Tip:  If like me, you are powering your way through the Menopause, then any opportunity to add a measure of collagen to my diet is a great benefit, so I replace a small amount of the flour with my Correxiko Marine Collagen (unflavoured) and you would never know!

Also - There is a fabulous offer of the Lisa Snowdon Glow Box available at Correxiko sponsored by their brand ambassador Lisa Snowdon, still running at the moment, so be quick if you are interested in trying out the Correxiko Marine Collagen, as the Glow Box is filled with loads of products, information and a fantastic recipe book all for the incredible price of £59.00 (Usually priced at £120.00).

Lisa Snowdon Glow Box - Correxiko

Recipe and Method - American-Style Pancakes

Ingredients:

50g Unsalted Butter, plus extra for frying.

300g Milk

2 Medium Eggs

30g Sugar

200g Plain Flour

1 Tbsp Baking Powder (15g)

1/2 tsp Fine Sea Salt

Preparation:

(If using your own mixer or whisk just replace Thermo Instructions with your own method of whisking till light and airy)

1.  Place butter in mixing bowl and melt (2 min/70℃/speed 1).

2.  Add milk, eggs, sugar, flour, baking powder and salt then mix (10 sec/speed 5).

3.  To cook pancakes, heat 1/2 tsp butter in a frying pan over a medium heat.  For each pancake, pour in a ladle of batter and cook for 1-2 minutes or until bubbles appear on surface.  Flip pancake over and cook for a further 1 minute.  Transfer pancake to a serving plate and cover to keep warm.  Repeat with remaining batter.  Serve hot.

Utensils:

Measuring cup, hob, frying pan, fish slice, ladle.

Serving suggestion:

Lemon and Sugar, Maple Syrup, Honey, whipped cream, chocolate, caramel sauce, fruit/berries!! 😋




A brief history of Shrove Tuesday (Pancake Day)

Traditionally the feast day before the start of Lent which begins on Ash Wednesday.  Lent lasts for 40 days and finishes at Easter.  The name Shrove Tuesday originates from the Anglo-Saxon Christian tradition of going to confession and were "Shriven" (absolved of their sins). The ringing of a bell called the "Pancake Bell" was rung to call the people to confession and is still rung today.

The need to use up ingredients such as eggs and fats before beginning Lent was probably why the delicious pancakes, that we still make today, were derived.  A pancake being a thin, flat cake made of butter, eggs and flour and fried in a pan.  The traditional English pancake is very thin and served immediately with syrup or lemon juice and caster sugar or any other fruits and toppings that wet your appetite. 

The tradition of "tossing/flipping" the pancakes was begun at the same time to prevent the cake burning. 

"and every man and maide doe take their turne, and tosse their Pancakes for feare they burne." (Pasquil's Palin, 1619)

The ingredients for the traditional Pancake are symbolic and of significance to represent this time of year:

EGGS - Creation | FLOUR - The Staff of Life | SALT - Wholesomeness | MILK - Purity

In the UK we love a pancake race and this forms an important part of our  Shrove Tuesday Fun!  Generally, gatherings are organised, often in fancy dress, to race each other up and down the streets while tossing their pancakes.  The idea is to cross the finish line first with your pan and pancake in tact!!


Well I hope you have enjoyed the blog, it would great to hear your comments, recipes and pancake race news below or just say hello, thanks for joining me.
All the best
Nicky 😋