Curvaceous Beauties Shambles Not Sexy

Curvaceous Beauties - Never Again!

I am a plus-size, so to buy nice underwear and sexy nightwear I find it quite hard to find clothing that either fits properly or actually looks nice.

On the Internet I stumbled across Curvaceous Beauties a plus size lingerie and sexy nightwear store ... bingo! I thought and placed an order.

I placed my order online and paid £37.93 via Paypal for ....
1 x Suspender Chemise - Plus Size -  £29.99
1 x Sexy Sheer Stockings - Colour: Black - £4.99
P&P £2.95

Then sat and waited patiently for my order to arrive ... I was actually quite excited as I haven't treated myself (or Andy!) to some sexy undies for well... urm ... ever!

Anyhow - my order came and I was very disappointed.  For a plus-size garment it was poor fabric, yes it fit around my middle but the cup sizes were very very small (there was no way that my big bazookas were going to fit in them).  So I repackaged the dress without even having to open the stockings packet and put them both back into the postal bag to be returned.

Here is where the fun starts!

You have to have a 'code' to return items.  I emailed twice for a code and telephoned - it is always an answerphone but at this point I didn't leave a message.
My emails didn't get a reply for over 10 days! by this time I had already returned the package with my order number and copy of the emails inside.

Basically you have to contact them for a 'return code' as stated on their website ... all the code is is your original order code but written on the outside of the packaging that you return your goods in .... how pathetic! why not just put that on the website.

So .. order returned Recorded Delivery (at my own cost) I sit and wait for my refund. 
They do state on the website that it can take up to 30 days for the refund to be processed - I understand this as with the items they sell they have to check every items for wear or use, plus you can only return certain items due to hygiene etc... which is great and a good point for the company.

After nearly a month I telephoned them just to check they have received my package as I have had no contact from them - I left a message on the answerphone - no return call from them.  So I emailed and someone emailed back stating their 30 day rule - no problem.

Today I received my refund .... £29.99 ???? my original order (minus postage) was £34.98
Where has the other £4.99 gone ??

Well I have emailed (again) to ask why I have been shortchanged.  After 2 lots of postage coming to around £6 in total ... why charge me a further £4.99 ?

I am not happy - which is why I am writing this blog review of the company to warn other plus-size ladies about what bad customer service I have received ..... I would have been better off shopping on eBay!

If/When I get a reply I will update this blog post (22/04/11).

The moral to my post is - DO NOT USE  www.curvaceousbeauties.com for your sexy pants - shop elsewhere.

HEALTH OFFER Try Lifegain for 45 days for FREE

Calling All Health Enthusiasts

The creation of an innovative drink using soy beans heralds the birth of a new breed of lifestyle supplement in the UK and you could be one of the first to try it!


Whether you’re hoping to keep your body in tip top condition year round or get back in shape after some time out or a bout of illness it’s hard to know what supplements you really need. With hundreds of health products now available it is becoming increasingly confusing to stay healthy…which is exactly why Lifegain has been launched in the UK.


The lifestyle supplement has been available in South Africa for over ten years where it has helped thousands of individuals get the body they want, keep themselves in tip top condition and recover from illness. Now Lifegain has arrived on our shores with its unique formula providing a whole host of important nutrients to help maintain good health, including essential and non-essential amino acids, calcium, iron, zinc, phosphorus, magnesium, a range of vitamins, fatty acids and fibre.


The vanilla flavoured drink also contains a powerful triple formula of soy, whey and milk proteins combined with 19 amino acids, essential for body repair, growth and fat metabolism, a must for anyone wanting efficient recovery, whether from a hard session in the gym or a bout of the flu.


What really sets Lifegain apart from the pack however is that it’s jam packed full of substances called soy isoflavones, which have been seen to have a large range of benefits.


Just one serving of Lifegain contains 66mg of isoflavones. These miracle molecules are well known for helping with osteoporosis1 and promoting a healthy circulatory system2,3, and just 25g of Soy Protein a day (40-90mg isoflavones) can help control blood cholesterol and therefore promote a healthy heart4


Combining soy with the other nutrients and vitamins means Lifegain provides everything your body needs to stay healthy…keeping your body in tip-top condition has never been so easy.


But the team behind Lifegain don’t want you to just take their word for it, so they’re setting up a UK trial to ‘show’ us.


If you want to be one of the first people in the UK to try Lifegain now’s your chance.

The company behind the UK launch, Verdure, are giving away 45 days worth of product, worth £89.55, to 200 volunteers. In return all you have to do is jot down how you feel each day whilst using the product and fill in a questionnaire after the 45 days – simple.


To be one of the 200 participants to receive the free product simply visit http://www.verdurehealthcare.com/newsletters/lifegain_study.html and fill in your details.


For more details on Lifegain visit http://www.verdurehealthcare.com/

Smarties Chicken and Egg

Smarties Chicken and Egg

We have pet chickens at home, so to review a chocolate chicken for Easter is quite funny for our family.

Smarties have produced a chocolate chicken, the chocolate of the chicken shell is quite thick and solid ... you have to give it a good bash to break it into chunks.  I was a little disappointed at the size of the chicken though - the recommended retail price is £2.50 which for the size I feel is a little steep.

Inside there is a chocolate egg :) the chocolate is quite thin but when you break this open there are mini Smarties inside.  We had 6 mini Smarties in our egg ... giving the price and the size of the egg this is a bit stingy - they could of at least filled it up!

I like the chocolate taste, its not too sweet, but giving the size of the chicken it is not a chocolate treat that could be easily shared between children.

Its a nice idea, but too much money for the amount of chocolate included.  With the deals on regular Easter Eggs in the shops I feel this product could easily get overlooked.

So Smarties - here's the answer: Make it bigger next year and include more Smarties :)

Available from all good supermarkets
RRP: £2.50

Heinz Salad Cream with Cucumber and Dill

Heinz Salad Cream with Cucumber and Dill

The weather is getting warmer and I'll bet that most of you had the BBQ out last weekend ... well whats a BBQ without Heinz?

Heinz have produced a limited edition Salad Cream with Cucumber and Dill.  Do you remember when they launched their Lemon and Black Pepper variety? A lot of people decided that Heinz Salad Cream was such an iconic brand that you couldn't 'mess' with the taste .. oh how wrong they were, people loved it and it soon became a regular on the supermarket shelves.

Heinz Cucumber and Dill Salad Cream can be used with your regular salads, sandwiches, fish and even burgers!  I actually like to put salad cream on sausages so I know that salad cream isn't just for salad!

The Lemon and Black Pepper variety was blended to compliment chicken and tuna, Cucumber and Dill has been specially prepared to match oily fish dishes such as salmon and mackerel, it even tastes great with red meats such as BBQ burgers and lamb.

The taste is quite sharp on first taste (as Salad Cream is), but it has a nice pleasant aftertaste which is quite soothing.  I certainly can't wait to use it when we next have a BBQ as I am not a great lover of red sauce and so prefer to use salad cream instead.

Available from all major supermarkets RRP £1.15 (295g)

Honeycomb Puffs

Limited Edition - Honeycomb Puffs

Emma likes Sugar Puffs and so expressed an interest in the new limited edition Honeycomb Puffs from the family favourite Honey Monster.  Every morning I make sure she has breakfast before school, I believe that a good breakfast keeps you healthy and helps you concentrate - therefore everyone should at least try to have something for breakfast.

Basically the Honeycomb Puffs cereal is sugar puffs with large chunks of honeycomb, to be fair the box did have a good portion of honeycomb mixed in with the cereal which I was very surprised at ... so you do get a good amount of honeycomb per bowl.

As always the brand have looked after our children's health by maintaining their promise of 'no artificial anything' by promoting Honeycomb Puffs as a good source of fibre, suitable for vegetarians and that each bowlful is fortified with vitamins and iron. 

Typically each 30g serving contains 114kcal, which considering that the same size portion of Special K is 112kcal this is fantastic for a sweet breakfast cereal (http://www.weightlossresources.co.uk/calories-in-food/breakfast-cereals/Kelloggs-Special-K.htm).  Other comparable results per 30g are protein 1.4g, Carbohydrate 26.0g (of which sugars 12.0g), Fat 0.4g and Fibre 1.0g.

Emma did eat the whole boxful of cereal over a couple of weeks, which is rare as I normally end up giving the last few dregs to our pet chickens.  However she wasn't overally impressed with them.  Sometimes she said that the honeycomb got in the way of her eating and got stuck in her teeth, other days she chose other products as she didn't fancy something as sweet as Honeycomb Puffs.
She has commented that younger children would love the cereal, but that she prefers Honey Waffles another new variety of cereal from the Honey Monster ... she has only eaten two bowlfuls so as yet hasn't given me a valid reason why she prefers the other style.

Definitely a brand to watch though as they have lots of different limited editions planned for 2011.

http://www.honeymonster.co.uk/

Total Greek Yoghurt Split Pots

Total 0% Greek Yoghurt Split Pots

Total are introducing a brand new concept in healthier eating - delicious fat-free Greek Yoghurt with a side portion of honey or fruit compote.

I like yoghurt, but I am a sweet yoghurt fan at heart.  Greek Yoghurt to me has always been a little bland, so for it to come with a side portion of fruit compote or honey to sweeten/flavour it, I was very interested.

Total 0% Greek Yoghurt Split Pots come in four delicious flavours: Blueberry, Tropical Fruit, Strawberry and Honey.  My favourite has to be the blueberry as the compote is quite strong and packed with fruit, with the Greek yoghurt it tastes lovely, creamy and is a treat not just a yoghurt.

The split pot yoghurts are great for breakfast, lunch, a snack or a dessert.  We mostly ate them after school when we were peckish before dinner, but I did on occasion eat one for breakfast.

I only had a few problems with the packs. 

• Emma struggled to get the top off of the pots without tipping it everywhere
• I couldn't get the last bit of fruit/honey out of the side compartment even with using a spoon (both ends) and even squeezing the packaging.
• The honey variety set hard in the fridge (but that could be my fridge being a bit too cold).

Each yogurt is made from pasteurised skimmed cows milk, live yoghurt culture plus honey or fruit compote.
The blueberry, tropical fruits and strawberry posts all contain 127.5 calories per tub or less.  The honey is a bit higher at 167 calories per tub.

Available from most Waitrose stores in the chiller cabinets, priced at £1.09 each unless on offer.  See instore for details.