Try to google a recipe online and see what comes up in the top search: bloggers that have never made it and have no clue how to do it..

I got fooled after plugging out petals from dandelions for over two hours and the recipe didn't work - I had a sugar syrup that tasted of citric acid! 

One of the reasons I have decided to write this blog - to share a real experience of making Dandelion vegan honey!

Main points for making Dandelion honey:

- pick up Dandelions flowers: take pair of scissors and cut just he flower hat only leaving the whole plant in the grass;

- pick up flowers far away from the main roads or any roads as fumes have toxins and can get onto plants easily, try to pick up Dandelion flowers in the parks, where there is less car traffic, in the fields, local paths or even abounded allotment - you would be surprised how many Dandelions grow in the seasons in your local area;

- the best time when you should pick up any flowers is noon on a dry and sunny day - this is the best time when flowers in full bloom and realising the most of nectar;

 

- picking up Dandelion flowers is not a big deal, the big deal is plucking out petals before all flowers close, then it would be more difficult;

- make Dandelion honey in small batches as much as you can manage in one day - for example, 1.5 litre Parex jar of petals makes is 380 g of petals and 2 hours of plucking dandelion petals from the flowers; 

- you don't need a special sugar for making Dandelion honey but you do need citrus - Orange or Lemon - whole fruit with skin and zest, the skin of citrus is important - it will turn your water and sugar into thick runny honey, if citrus fruit replaced with citric acid - honey won't work;

- you don't need special preserving jars - just use the glass jar with lids were used to be stored supermarket honey, jam or curd - just wash them perfectly and dry them properly. You'll be using a lot of sugar in the Dandelion honey recipe - and sugar is a preservative;

- you don't need to cook Dandelion honey for long hours but you do need a whole day dedicated to it: when you pick up the flowers you have to pluck out the flowers straight away, make honey and jar it the same day; 

- keep the honey to mature from 3 to 6 month from the day you made it - as longer it matures as the most flowery and incredibly good properties it has for health;

- store Dandelion honey in the cupboard in the dark place far away from heat and sunshine.

- some leftover petals I have layered with sugar in the jar (approx. 1cm on sugar and 1cm of petals and repeat, store only in the fridge). Sugar will preserve the petals, after 3-6 months use it as a remedy from colds and flu - add petals to your tea  and you'll recover in no time. 

Dandelion Honey Recipe:

350g - Dandelion Petals

1 kg of any Sugar (you don't have to use preserving sugar)

1 litre of tap water 

2 sliced Oranges (I use oranges as it gives a sweeter taste)

Jars with tight lids 

Method:

1. Picking up the flowers: I just cut the Dandelion heads with scissors and put them in the roomy cotton bag or basket, do not use a plastic bag as your flowers will go damp and will lose nectar. Try picking up bigger flower heads as you will end up with more petals and leave smaller flowers. 

2. After you have collected the flowers - start plucking out petals straight away as Dandelion flowers will close after 2-3 hours and it will be more difficult to pluck out petals.

3. Put the flowers into a basket or big bowl with lots of water so the small insects will come out off the flowers. Remove the water leaving petals on the bottom of the bowl. 

4. Add water to petals and simmer for 20 minutes. Drain petals, add sugar and oranges. 

5. Simmer for 1.5 hours until water will turn into golden bubbly amber golden syrup, similar when you make a caramel sauce, test with a spoon by leaving it to cool down and if honey will create a set drop - honey is ready if you are not sure - leave it to bubble for another 10 minutes on low heat. 

6. Turn off the honey leave to cool down and jar it. Store in the at room temperature in the dark cupboard away from the sun.

You can eat it straight away but it might taste sour-sweet. 

 Write down the date you made it and leave to mature for 3- 6 months for the best taste!

Hey, guys!

Welcome to my Stories!

From now on I will be posting my Stories here on my website.

Why? On the 30th of June Instagram will not allow me to share with my products in my IG posts, I will have to pay for it! Plus all the images you have downloaded on IG technically is not yours anymore but the property of IG. It is a difficult subject to copyrights and my website trafficking.

I figured I'll share everything that's going on in my life and everything that will be useful for you here.

When the government says Stay at home or work from home, some of us are furloughed you gotta find that balance not to lose your mind, you need to find things to do to give you that motivation so afterwards you'll feel like you are ready for more productive things than just baking Banana Bread. 

Routine is very important: otherwise, you sleep god knows when and eating god knows what. I work regularly from Monday to Friday on my business - website, formulating, designing..

On my days off - sorry I'm not available!

I have made some homemade snaps and photos of my rented apartment in green Cheshire and my personal #lockdown stories that really inspired me to carry on my business and think less about the pandemic.

Now sharing with you! 

Let's dive into it: My lockdown days, NB: they do not include tips like doing online shopping or spending more time with your family (as many of us probably already do a lot!). 

1. Paint

These materials I have bought from The Works ages ago, I had a holiday and I have taken time for myself in 2016, I was fancy painting as I love the beach where I use to live back in Tywyn, Wales. Sandy beach, driftwood and tall grass, I have been paining all morning and that was the most amazing solitude, that when I get inspired to open my business and make my own handmade skincare. 

So I have decided to paint again - the second time in my life since I was five probably.

I'm more of a Picasso rather than Turner, but I enjoy the process and my masterpiece I can hide in the loft later :D 

2. Bake

I love French Tarts but I have never made French Tart properly, I was always in the rush..

Baking has to taste and look good so it won't be embarrassing to share it on Instagram! I made time and made shortcrust pastry properly: leaving to chill for 30 mins and took the time to arrange apples.

It made me feel proud for a moment! Try it! With Merry Berry's and Nigella's recipes you will never go wrong: easy to make and effortless to cook.

3. Upcycle

I have a fabric sack where occasionally I add clothes that I plan to recycle, once during cleaning I looked through it and realised that lots of things there are really good soft fabric, everything washed and clean. You know things like old hoddies and joggers, cotton t-shirts. I love cushions in every corner of my room and while I was shopping I looked inside the cushion that was sold for £15 and I was shocked - plastic filler more like a poor quality duvet, it is all plastic! I thought about why I can't make my own cushion but use filler with cotton upcycled clothes?

So here is how it's done: cut jersey cotton clothes in small pieces discarding seems and zips and buttons; get a piece of thick cotton - I used my IKEA old curtain, you can try using a tablecloth or maybe old cover that soft and nice to touch, maybe even old fluffy sweater? 

I don't even possess a sewing machine, so it is literally handmade! Worried that seams will look a bit messy - check out a hand sewing techniques online and find something that you really like. 

4. Walk

Walk in the park is not the most exciting things to do, but watching ducklings and fish in the lake, collecting pinecones and wild flowers to bring into your house  -  can be a real thing, maybe it will bring you back into childhood!

5. Garden party 

We all miss pubs, cocktail bars and restaurants.. Me and my partner had this tradition of Friday pint and Sunday coffee mornings. We decided to make our own celebration: adding sliced fruit to favourite drink, arrange a couple of fancy snacks, add a bit of deco: a fancy vase of flowers and a luxury tray, turn on Reggies music and just enjoy and talk.

6. Foraging

I have made Dandelion honey once, it was amazing after six months maturing in a glass jar in the dark cupboard! Plus this honey like Vegans as technically is it a syrup rather than stolen work of poor bees :D

"I have found tons of recipes online, but I was shocked that so many bloggers basically lying about making Dandelion honey and just added pretty pictures of usual honey jars and a cotton twine.. Those recipes never worked as one ingredient is missing, can you imagine that plugging out petals from Dandelion all day and it is all to waste?.. 

Dear bloggers, please write posts genuinely! Something you really done and you know about, but not because your website missing a blog and you need to add some useless info to it.

Dear Goggle, please stop pushing fake blogs into a top search, we all rely on you! When the recipes does't work and content is not genuine -  you have to work on it"

So I have said everything I wanted to say, now I can surely say - making your own honey is bringing your household to a higher level! It is like meditation - plugging out petals for two hours in a row slowly puts you into a trance.

Don't believe me? Ask your Japanese friends - they do it all the time, it develops patience and discipline.

I promise I will make a full blog devoted to Dandelion honey recipe and share it next week.

I'm incredibly grateful to all Key workers: my internet works, water is running, electricity is working and I have food in the fridge.

To NHS: I will owe you for the rest of my life, job that you do is priceless, we stay at home for you. 

I will see you next week! If don't want to miss anything - subscribe to my mailing list and Feedburner will send you a notification every time I post a new Story!

Stay safe!

New skincare brand is born every day! So many choices and you have to get the right one, and you wonder does every skincare crafter knows his stuff?

Here are some things you might consider before buying handmade skincare:

1. All skincare that contains natural products has to be packed into amber glass jars or bottles, not clear jars (jam jars) or plastic (unless it's commercial then it might have inner sunlight protective coating), as amber glass jars protect skincare product from sunlight.

When product exposed to sunlight (even on the dressing table or very lit bedroom) natural ingredients like essential oils, botanicals extracts are starting to break down and lose its natural goodness. It is similar if you heat oils that are heat sensitive (Avocado, Jojoba Oil etc.) their polyunsaturated fats changing their molecular structure and give no effect to your skin, some oils if affected to sunlight become toxic and poisonous  

Some skincare crafter using jams jars or clear jars for their face creams and salves, even serums. The reason - jam jars or Kilner jars are cheap and easier to buy then a real professional cosmetic packaging. 

2. 100% Natural or Anhydrous skincare (does not contain water)

80% of newborn handmade skincare brands making Anhydrous products, you have seen them a lot: whipped shea butter lotions, 100% Natural Content face creams, only because they do not contain water so therefore do not require a preservative, but are they good for your skin?

Let me explain the basic purpose of face cream.

What is a face cream? - it is a mixture of oils and water, emulsifiers needed as the cream will not happen.

Why do we need to use water and oil for our skin? - to replenish and feed natural skin barrier - a natural protective skin mechanism that keeps skin healthy and protects the top layer of our body and face from the environment. If you remember this basic knowledge it will give you an idea of why our skincare routine has to be consistent. 

Anhydrous face cream does not contain water, it is usually whipped shea butter, with other butter or oil, Vitamin E (to keep oils stable), pretty much nothing else. 

So what happens if we use only oils on our skin and now using oils?

Skin becomes dehydrated, even dry over time and you feel that you need to swap to something else. 

My skincare products are in amber glass jars and bottles, similar to how old fashioned pharmacies kept their medicine. My face creams contain water as it is essential for skin in any form: spring water, flower water (hydrosol). Simply because I make products purely for myself. 

Choose carefully and have knowledge in mind and may your choices will make your skin happy! 

Christmas tree is gone and all decorations packed into the loft, we all coming back to committed lifestyle: somebody starts going to the gym, changing hairstyle or a job, there is a new year that will bring new happiness!

I noticed lots of people in the gym all different shapes and sizes, different ages and occupation, somebody just walked from work in heels and got changed ready for a treadmill, somebody wants to lose weight and somebody wants to build up muscle. 

Maybe you are thinking about changing something about your life?

Like going Vegan? or replace your bottle of commercial shower gel into a beautiful handmade bar of soap? It's good not only for your skin but for the environment. 

And the meaning of the soap has changed over the years going from the fat bar made from cold-pressed oils into a block of detergents and chemicals that you can buy for less than 50p. 

We started to be scared of soap as it is drying out the skin, yes it might be if it's commercial soap, as it doesn't have as much of natural fat from high oleic oils, added butter as it makes it more expensive to produce.

My personal experience: I have replaced all my plastic bottles fancy shower gels and facial washes into my own handmade soaps: my skin has never felt dry, I don't use as much of body lotion after each shower, my self-tan or even natural tan stays longer and doesn't wash off as much, and the most important - I have never felt cleaner in my life! 

We are so lucky to live in times where the handmade industry is thriving thanks to Etsy, NuMomnday and many more platforms where handcrafters and conscious consumer meet! 

Skin: it is never perfect

I don't know what's wrong with my skin but every time I go on holiday and travel through the airport to the sunshine, I have breakouts. It is usually on my chin. And no matter if I wear make up or not while travelling, if I clean my skin in between the travel I end up with a huge blemish on my holiday..

I think it's pollution, dust, dirt in air and skin's stress even, but in any case, nothing is working to rescue skin from unexpected blemishes. I have literally tried everything: from Anti Blemish to Normaderm and even Tea Tree Oil. 

What really turns my world upside down is the day when I discovered #bentonite clay. I have discovered Bentonite Clay just by accident and had an idea of making fresh face masks with added goodness. I mixed Bentonite Clay with Organic Orange Flower Water and clay do not dissolve in water immediately, it needs to sit for a couple of minutes. At least fifteen minutes. 

Of course, before selling any of my handmade skincare I need to test on my own skin, so I popped a tin-trial full of the ready mask - Bentonite Clay + Orange Flower Water. I will test it while I'm on holiday - I won't wear make up anyway :D

So we getting to that moment when you travel all day (Manchester - Tenerife) and when you finally in the hotel your face looks like you haven't slept for a week and skin looks oily and tired. Are we close to that moment when you notice a lump trying to break through the skin into a huge red blemish?

Exactly. Nothing left to lose and just try that clay mask which at least gives a skin some detox.

OMG! You know when we talk about effect after the first use is just a marketing trick, right? But that was for real!

After my first application of this mask, I have noticed that lump that was almost swollen to just about break through the skin has actually decreased in size!

The redness and that greyish tired look of the skin have replaced with white clean skin and matte look!

I gave it a go in the evening as I found out in the hotel I forgot to put my face wash into my travel toiletries. The result is - my skin started to improve after every application of Bentonite Clay mask.

And the holiday result is not the only bigger result I had: I have this problem with blemishes on both sides of my chin and purely depends on woman's hormonal balances that's what I thought. I always had red or whiteheads in the same place. No matter if I use Anti Blemish Gel, Normaderm or any other super rescue anti-blemish treatment like applying Tea Tree Oil on the cotton bud and straight onto the pimple.

But when after using Bentonite Clay on my skin especially on the chin - my skin has never been clean like never in my life. Guys, this is a must-have and everyone should use it as a treatment - men and women as this Clay are not drying out skin like chalk, but gives a very balanced mineral feeling on the skin! 

I was so amazed by the effect of Bentonite clay I have started research.

Very interesting fact about this clay that when you add water the clay swells up slowly. I have added Orange Flower water and clay drank it all, I had to add more and wait more time while it swells. The molecular structure of clay changes when you add water - it becomes electrically charged and acts as a magnet on the skin - dragging out toxins, impurities and sebum.

It is odourless and microfine with grey colour. 

Then I came across Rhassoul Moroccan Clay while I was making Perfance 100% Black Soap, which is soap used for stream rooms - hammams, and if you do a proper Moroccan hammam you use soap first, then Rhassoul (Ghassoul) Clay and Argan Oil afterwards. 

So, Rhassoul (Ghassoul) clay or Moroccan Lava Clay is a mineral clay that derived from the Atlas Mountains in Morocco. It contains natural detergent, just very slightly soapy clay without creating foam. Rhassoul clay gives a clean feeling on the skin without stripping the skin's natural balance. 

So if you use it on the skin it is like a creamy clay Brown colour that has small particles due to its texture. The molecular structure of this clay is perfect for absorbing impurities and excess of oil from the skin. it is a beautiful product and must-have for #skinobsessors.

French Green Clay is incredibly creamy and gives a light detox even for Sensitive Skin. Added Black Seed oil is a multi superfood for skin - from cleansing properties to redness removing and skin calming. This clay is known as Illite Clay and rich in minerals like cobalt, magnesium, silicone and other minerals. 

Fuller's Earth Clay is known as a pH balanced cleanser-clay with pore tightening properties as it has a molecular oil-dragging effect. It is used to make skin whiter and remove any unwanted pigmentation on the skin. So you might give it a go for treating dark spots that appear on the skin if you forget to apply sun cream. 

Conclusion.

I thought that using clay for skin do not give any effect as just drying out the skin. And this is something I have experienced when I was a teenager and bought a packet of a mass market clay that cost me less than a penny. And it felt like chalk and smelled like chalk which reminding me of school pretty much. After washing off that clay from my face my skin just felt dry. No effect. The fact for sure - I have used a wrong clay, a cheap clay or just fake. After that experience, I stopped trying clay masks for like the next ten years. 

But don't be like me - you have to always look for something new and indulging for your skin. Cause skin of every person is different and the routine is different, so you have to search for only your individual routine. 

What happened after I started to use Precious Clays?

I have stopped using a face wash at all. Clay does everything - cleansing, oil and impurities absorption, detox and even micro exfoliation. But..

The cleansing routine should have at least three steps: make up removing,  clay mask-cleanser and floral water (hydrosol) face toner.

I have tried this routine for over a months and I can tell my skin feels better - clean and fresh, no blackouts and less shine. And another reason - I don't like face washes that makes skin tight and even red sometimes as I think I have developed sensitivity to Detergents like Sulphates or SLS.

It's up to you to decide what you apply on your skin but this time think open minded. Like we do, or at least we try.