The PB Family

A UK Family lifestyle and beauty Blog. We are a family who range in age from 2 months - 70years! Join us as we review items, live our daily life and discuss the worlds happenings!

Wednesday 14 September 2016

Branded Choclate Vs ALDI alternatives!

Good Morning everyone! Or Good evening depending where you are in the world!


Today we have been testing out branded chocolate bars and comparing them to the ALDI alternatives. Its a hard job but someone had to do it! So we choose four different chocolate bars and then bought the ALDI alternatives. All the branded chocolate was bought from pound land so oh course was £1.00 for four.  With the exception of the tunnocks bars which were six in a pack.

So firstly we have the Mars bars And their alternatives the racer bars.  

  We opened them and tried the mars first.  it had the usual soft caramel and nougat covered with chocolate.  It tasted like... well a normal Mars bar! Opening the Racer bar, which is the ALDI alternative, the first thing we recognised was that they are the same size.  Good start!  They come in a pack of 6 for 65p.  We tasted them and found they indeed did taste like a mars bar.  For the price we were very impressed.!


Next on to the tunnock caramel bars.  These are Mr PB's favourite ever chocolate snack.  On tasting we saw that they were layers of caramel followed by layers of wafer in between and then covered in chocolate.  Very tasty!  The Aldi alternative was the same structure of caramel and wafers.  They cost 81p for a pack of eight.  Upon tasting we saw that once again these were very similar to the branded tunnocks and apart from their not being as many layers we couldn't see much difference. 

On to the Snickers bars

The alternative to the Snickers is the Titan bar.  They retail at 65p for six.   This time after tasting the Titan bar we did see a difference.  There is a lot of caramel and not many peanuts.  After having such good experiences we felt a little let down by these and we give you a thumbs down for these ALDI. We will not be repurchasing these.

Lastly we have the twix Vs the jive bar.



With these we found that again they were the same size and came in a pack of five for 65p.  These are extremely good value and are exactly the same structure as Twix.  In fact we decided that we preferred these Jive bars to the Twix.  They tasted not as over poweringly sweet and were a nice snack. 


All in all we would definitely purchase the ALDI snack bars over the branded ones. (with the exception of the titan bar)   They are definitely a good cost effective alternative and they don't scrimp on taste.  We also filmed while we were taste testing and you can find our video here

So thanks for visiting us here today and we hope to see you all back again really soon.  Bye for now
The PB's xx

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Saturday 10 September 2016

Battle of the concealers, Rimmel wake me up Vs maybeline fit me

Hello everyone.
Welcome back to the Blog!

 Today I will be comparing the Rimmel wake me up and maybeline fit me concealers. So lets start with the Rimmel wake me up concealer.  It only comes in three shades which I feel will not cater for everyone.   Priced at £5.49 for 7ml it comes in a standard concealer bottle with a removable wand.  The handle of the wand is orange and fits easily in the hand.  



It is slightly fragranced but is in no way over powering.  It claims to "Conceals and illuminates under the eyes and conceals blemishes". It can be found here.  I applied under my eyes to brighten them and also on my chin as I had been experiencing a breakout.  ( I used a cotton bud to apply to the chin to avoid contamination of the wand) . The wand is the  standard wand that liquid concealers have.  Nothing different or special. 



The concealer is quite a thick substance and does cover extremely well.  I blended using a real techniques miracle complexion sponge which can be purchased here for £5.99. 
It blended out into my foundation extremely well giving good coverage and lightening under the eyes.  It covered over my blemishes on my chin well and left my skin feeling great.  All in all this is a good product especially when you consider the price.  I have had higher end concealers that haven't covered as well.  


Now on to the Maybelline Fit Me Concealer.  .

Again it comes in the bog standard kind of packaging as liquid concealers do. It costs £5.99 and you can find it here
The wand fits well in the hand and is easier to grip as it has a square shape to it. Again slightly fragranced but not over powering.
  It comes in six shades which I feel better caters for every skin tone.  It promises to "Correct the appearance of imperfections without hiding the skins natural radiance."  Again I applied to the same areas, under the eye and on my chin blemishes, but I found this product to be watery and not to cover as well as the rimmel product.  I blended it out with the sponge and to be honest you couldn't see the benefits of the concealer.  I feel it doesn't live up to its claims.  You have to remember that this is only a medium cover concealer but even so I would expect more from it.   To be honest I would personally pick the Rimmel concealer,  That's if you can find it in your shade! 

I hope this review has been helpful to you and you vist again soon.
Bye for now!
 This is not a sponcered post!

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Wednesday 24 August 2016

Freak shakes!

Hello everyone. This week has been super fun for us. But one day that stands out from the others is the day we went to a cafe called coffee heart in Lowestoft town centre. We went with the grandchildren and melody and had such a great  time. In the shop they do milk shakes that they call freak shakes.  There is also a selection of cakes and coffees/teas.  They also do gluten free cakes!

The freakshake!

They were delicious  The grandkiddlets loved them!
They were a milkshake,topped with ice cream, topped with chocolate sauce and either pretzels or sweeties, topped with a donuts, topped with whipped cream!!!! Totally full of calories but totally acceptable as a treat with the children!
The Grandson enjoying his shake!

 The staff were friendly and extremely helpful. especially when GD2 had a accident and smashed her glass and all of the contents on the floor!



 All in all I would give coffee heart a big thumbs up and thank you for our lovely treat.  If you are in Lowestoft and find yourself looking for a treat Coffee heart can be found on London Road North by the pedestrian crossing.
Bye for now and see you all soon x

We have not been sponsored for this post.

Soap and Glory Righteous Butter Diamond Edition review

Hello and welcome back to our blog.
While out shopping this week I popped into Boots for a few essentials. Whilst browsing the aisle (as you do) I found this body butter by soap and glory.  It comes in a 300ml pot and is called The Righteous Butter Diamond Edition. 







It is a limited diamond edition and has tiny little sparkles.  Not enough to be girlie and over childish but enough to give a nice sheen.  It costs £8 at boots and includes entry to a prize draw. (the code is on the bottom of the pot  which you need to enter on line).




 The packaging is pretty and made of sturdy plastic.  I did drop this and it didn't crack so can withstand a bit of rough treatment! 


The butter is thick and creamy and smells really nice.  A mixture of flowers and sweets.  Unlike other butters the smell lingers after applying.  I applied it after showering and it glides on and covers well.  I could smell the fragrance on my skin the next morning so if you are looking for a long lasting fragrance this is the product for you. 


In my opinion the fragrance and obviously the packaging are marketed towards women and although not unsuitable for me entirely I don't believe that its a good product for men. 
I hope this review has been helpful to you and we will see you again real soon. 
Bye for now

I have not been sponsored for this post.














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Wednesday 17 August 2016

Collection lock and hold lipgloss review

Hello everyone! Welcome back to our blog. Today I have a review of the Collection lock and hold lip gloss review. I purchased four of these. No1 body pop, No2 beat box, No3 rock steady and No4 break dance. 




 Firstly the packaging is nothing glamorous.  Its the bog standard lip gloss packaging.  Theres nothing new or different in this packaging.  I feel like it is marketed towards the younger end of the market, maybe the teenage/early twenties consumers.  This is apparent in the shades available and the price. (£2.99) 

The applicator is small and extremely flexible.  In fact I couldn't see it holding up to continued prolonged use without snapping. Its small enough for precision application and holds the product well.
The formula is surprisingly pleasant with a smell that is not over powering and is easy to apply.  There is no stickiness and dragging over the lips.  Its quite sleek and smooth.  Its not drying to the lips as some lip glosses can be.
As for it lasting "up to six hours" I don't think it stands up to these claims.  I wore it and in under a hour I needed to reapply.  That's not to say it wouldn't last longer on different lips. The fact that it wore so quickly leaves me with the impression that this product is not as substantial as it claims.  Again I think this is suitable for the younger demographic and would fit in quite nicely in a teenagers make up bag.

I hope you found this review helpful and I hope to see you again here soon x


As usual this is my opinion and I have not been sponsored for this post




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Wednesday 10 August 2016

Max Factor colour elixir lipgloss review

 


 Hello everyone welcome back to our blog. Today I have a review of the Max Factor colour elixir
lip glosses.
I purchased two of these in the shades 25 enchanting coral and 60 polished fuchsia. It is available in nine different shades.   The packaging is very high end.  You would be forgiven for thinking that this was a high end lip gloss costing much more than the  £8.99 I paid.  Although at that price I guess that it is at the higher end of the drug store cosmetics range.




 The applicator is lovely and soft and quite small to allow precision application of the product.  It glides on easily and has a non sticky formula which I love.



The smell is sweet ,without being over powering.  It feels very moisturising and comfortable on the lips.  It lasts well although Max Factor give no promises on the lasting capabilities.  I found it lasted a good three hours before needing reapplication.  I would recommend this lip gloss for day wear as I think for a night out with eating/drinking etc it may not last well.




To learn more about this product please visit the Max Factor website here.  
All the views are my own as usual and I have not been sponsored for this review.

See you next time
Hales xx 

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Tuesday 9 August 2016

vlogidays week #3





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Sunday 7 August 2016

Lazy summer days!

Hello everyone. Welcome back to our blog. In his younger days Mr PB was a keen cricketer.  Unfortunately he has given up playing but still enjoys watching.  We have spent most Saturdays this summer watching his local team from when he was a boy play cricket.

Its lovely to just sit relaxing and having a picnic while the children play and Mr PB enjoys the cricket.  I'm not into sport myself but I'm into relaxing a reading a good novel while everyone else is happy.  We have been meeting up with the in laws at the cricket so Melody has been spending some cherished time with grandma and grandad which is lovely.


Most of the games have been at local villages and undoubtedly where there is a village there will be trees!  So the children have been enjoying the opportunity to tree climb!

What better way is there to spend the summer months!  We have a few days out planned out for the rest of the summer.  Days out with the dogs, the grandchildren etc so I shall endeavour to take many pictures and upload them here.  The children are growing so fast that I want to just keep every memory of them that I can and where better to catalogue it but here!  I hope you have enjoyed today's blog and I hope you visit again really soon.  
Bye for now
Hales xx





Wednesday 3 August 2016

Maybelline SUPERSTAY 14hr wear lipsticks



Hello everyone. welcome Back to our blog! Today I have a review for the Maybelline superstay 14hr wear lipsticks. I was very interested to try this as I have been looking for a long lasting lipstick to take me through the day.  I choose three different colours in the shades 260 always plum, 180 ultimate blush and 150 on and on pink.






 I tried the on and on pink first.  I was having a day out at the cricket so I thought it was a good opportunity to try out the longevity of the product.  I applied it at 9.30am and it glides on really nice and smooth.  The packaging that Ican only describe as Divine!  It smells kind of sweetie shop sweet if that makes sense!  The end of the lipstick is quite small and neat so perfect for those who have smaller lips.



 The colour is true on the lips and doesn't change upon applying.  I checked my makeup at 12pm and the lipstick was still in place.  It hadn't worn or smudged and was still as vibrant. 
I next checked my makeup at 2pm and the lipstick had started to wear.  I must point out that by this time i has eaten and drank so this could have contributed to the wear of the product on my lips.  But it was still there and still noticeable.  I could have reapplied at this point but i decided not to so I could give a true account.



We left cricket to go home approximately 4pm.  I checked my makeup in the car mirror and the lipstick had worn considerably.  But it was still on!  i was amazed.  If I'm honestI didn't expect the lipstick to last that long.  But It did.  By six o'clock we were home and I removed my makeup.  There was still traces of the lipstick but to be honest it was barely there.  I would say that in my opinion, for me,  this lipstick would not last fourteen hours but it lasted extremely well and I would definitely recommend it.  The only failure was that it left my lips feeling dry and I had to apply moisturiser to my lips the next day. Whether this is due to the ingredients that make this a long lasting lippy I am unsure.  there is a generous amount in the lipstick tube and at around £6 a lipstick its a absolute bargain.   I will definitely be purchasing some more in different shades as I'm so impressed.  If you would like more information on the product then please check out maybellines website here



Thanks for visiting today and I hope you will visit us again really soon!
Bye for now xxxx

(this post is not sponsored by maybelline)













































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Thursday 21 July 2016

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Sunday 17 July 2016

Sunday Funday!

Hello everyone and welcome back to the blog! As you can see Ive made some changes and we are now a family blog. I guess the format will still be the same, sharing my makes with you all and whatever c raft items I'm working on. But alongside that there will also be review, news on the family, days out etc. So i guess nothing much has changed only the name! We are now The PBfamily rather than crafty-mum. I hope you will all stay with us while we implement the changes and will enjoy our new format! So without further ado, here we go!

So little Princess is ten!  Where did the time go!  She will be eleven in November and it doesn't seem five minutes since we brought her home from the hospital.




She  is such a joy for us.  We are blessed by all our children but when we look at her we know that God is definitely good.  If you would like to hear her story please click here.

We have two new additions to the family this year.  Son No2 and his partner are expecting baby No 3 and  Son No 3 is expecting his first baby in November.  They are both girls and we are super excited to to invite them into the family.  As for Nigel and I we are fine.  We look forward to a exciting summer and beyond and look forward to sharing more of our moments with you and getting to know more of you.  we have made lots of new Friends through joining the blogging and vlogging worlds.  if you would like to watch some of our vlogs you can find us here.
Well time to go now and we hope to have you visit us here really soon