Fiona Brianne | Beauty, Fashion & Lifestyle Blog: May 2020

Instagram always knows how to recommend the good stuff.

It's almost impossible (especially in lockdown) to casually scroll through posts and stories without something new catching your eye.

I'm a sucker for sweets which doesn't go to well with the current limited lockdown lifestyle, but it helps with the feel good and end of the week cheat days. Since my favourite local dessert place has been shut down thanks to COVID, I was subconsciously looking for a replacement to fill the void.

Thankfully, I discovered Bromley's Bakes, run by Daniella Bromley in Leicestershire. The business looked fairly new, at least to Instagram, and currently offers cupcakes, one off bakes, and what looks like, the big ticket item, a 6 Bake Box. I just had to try the box and support a local business, especially in this climate.

DELIVERY + COST

It seems the boxes are baked to order on a first come first served basis - I contacted Bromley's Bakes on a Thursday via Instagram message and got my box hand delivered on the following Monday. Payment is take up front.

The 6 Bake Box costs £10.00 (absolutely bargain for what you get) and an extra £2.50 for me for delivery. This depends on where you live, and will differ on location.

THE BOX

The 6 Bake Box was packed in a flat pack cardboard which was sealed pretty tight, with the logo on the top. Inside, the bakes were wrapped in greaseproof paper; on top, a branded card with details of the bakes and social accounts, could be found on top.

From the ingredients list, it didn't look as though the bakes were catered for particular allergies/ food preferences, but I am assuming that this can be resolved by ordering a one off bake, rather than requesting one of her bulk buys. All allergens were presented in capital letters on the card.

The bakes were in perfect condition upon arrival, which is why popping them through the post is not an option.

THE BAKES

Opening the box is such a treat - I really appreciated how neat each slice was and how tightly they were all packed against each other to prevent crumbling or sliding. As an avid GBBO fan, I found the decoration to each pretty impressive - nothing more Insta-worthy than a multicoloured display of food; my phone camera really didn't do it justice.

I eat according to preference - I start with what I think I will like the least and work my way up to what I am assuming would be my favourite. I divided each piece into thirds in order to test its storage life over 3 days.

In order of favourites, starting with my favourite:

Oreo Fudge
White Chocolate and Raspberry Blondie
Biscoff Millionaire Shortbread
Lemon Drizzle
S'more Brownie
Caramel Popcorn Rocky Road

I can't deny that one of the main reasons I decided to try the box was because of the Oreo Fudge. I am a huge lover of Oreos - it was hella sweet and gave me one of those good toothaches after (this is what condensed milk does to me), but it was so worth it! In my opinion, the remaining bakes were a-lot less sweeter.

The raspberry brownie surprised me because I don't usually gravitate towards fruit (unless it's carrot cake) but it was soo soft, not overloaded and the chocolate/ fruit mix was really well balanced. I could have eaten all of this in one sitting, but I managed not to.

I "discovered" that I actually don't mind millionaires not too long ago, because I am not really a caramel person, but I think it was the added Biscoff (that belongs to the elite biscuit tier) that won me over. I thought this was surprisingly buttery and crumbly and not as heavy as I thought a millionaire's would be.

Lemon Drizzle is a cake OG, I think it's hard for me to not like a drizzle and again, I was not disappointed; the light sponge went really well with a cup of tea.

The final two were consistent with the others (soft and not too sweet) but, both contained marshmallows, which I find sickly in large quantities, so I could only manage pieces at a time.

As a side note (and I recommend you do this at your own risk, in case you ruin the bake) but I decided to put the S'more brownie in the microwave for a few seconds to melt it altogether. A mess but it tasted like it came straight from the campfire!

STORAGE

I realised a little too late that the bakes were quite generous in side and that I lived alone in a lockdown, meaning no way to share. I was recommended to consume the bakes within 3 days- which I did without regret, as freezing would destroy the quality of the bake.

I decided to try a piece of each across 3 days to see if I could see a difference, but I couldn't, bar the Marshmallow Rocky Road, which did seem to harden slightly. I also decided to store them on my countertop in their packaging, instead of the in the fridge, as my food tends to retain that stale fridge taste. As a result the chocolate of course did melt, but that was expected due to the temperature of my flat in the warmer months. In hindsight, a "cool, dry place" in an airtight tin would have been better.

I think now that I have tried the bakes as they are, I wouldn't mind freezing parts of them so I can keep them longer.

OVERALL

I think my body needs a break from all that sugar, but I have been craving another box since I finished this one.

Such a great find for a local baker and would be a great idea for gifts to friends and family members. Ordering was quick and hassle free, the bakes were beautifully presented, and above all, they all tasted amazing!

MORE INFORMATION ON BROMLEY'S BAKES

Find Bromley's Bakes on Instagram: instagram.com/BROMLEYSBAKES

Find Bromley's Bakes on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bromleysbakes/

Thank you for reading!

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Fiona x

femmeluxefinery, femmeluxe, loungewear, clothing haul, clothing review, instagood, influencer, fionabrianne, luxegal

I can't justify shopping for "out" clothes in this lockdown because the logic doesn't make sense. I am probably looking at putting on a few quarantine pounds in the next few weeks, so anything pretty or especially tight for summer days/nights outside probably isn't going to fit.

I was yet to upgrade my wardrobe with new loungewear especially for this work from home season, so when FemmeLuxeFinery gifted me a few pieces from their LoungeWear Set Collection, it was a dream come true.

I have bought from Femme before, sticking to their "dress up" pieces so was intrigued to see if I'd like their "for the chill only'' options.

Black "No Bad Vibes" Oversized T-shirt - Hannah (Size 10-12)

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I got this in a 10/12 and it ended up fitting like a standard tee, rather than oversized, which makes me think that their sizing might run slightly differently on different pieces.

To resolve this, I just added a front knot which makes a great staple to throw on underneath layers in winter, but a great statement for summer wear. Even though this is in the loungewear collection, I am definitely more likely to be wearing it outside.

I wasn't expecting the quality to be too good, but it ended up having a really soft slightly stretchy cotton, with a little weight to it as well!

The slogan is so fitting for the current climate - they have so many other inspirational quote T-shirts on their site to choose from, mainly in black and white.

Dusty Pink High neck cropped Loungewear Set - Ella (Size 8/10)

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I don't usually go for cropped but crop levels vary from store to store so I wanted to take a chance with this set. The crop on this is standard ribcage fit, so I realised it's me, not the crop, so won't be leaving the house in it.

The pink colour is very attractive without being too in your face "girly" (they have tons more of this pink colour across the loungewear collection) and the material is some kind of heavy wool blend. I was sweating within a few minutes of wearing this, so I'd recommend it for the colder lockdown days or to save it for the cripsier Autumn months ahead.

On first impressions/ try on, this set just didn't fit me very well. I didn't (and still don't) like the roll neck top, it seemed too long and I ended up stuffing most of it inside the top.

The elasticated leggings waist band keep twisting and bulking on my waist which might mean that they too small as they keep giving me the awkward front V.

But looking back on pictures, it doesn't seem to bad and made me look quite photogenic.

Khaki Ribbed belted Loungewear Set - Asia (Size 8-10)

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This set is definitely my favourite out of the three and was also my most wanted piece.

*Secret* - I had actually added this to my Wishlist tab on Chrome before receiving it from Femme, but it kept selling out - God must love me loads at this time because I now have it in my collection. When Femme sent me the pieces, I was beyond happy to finally get my hands on it.

If you don't know where to start in your pending loungewear collection, this is it. The colour. The style. The material (great stretch, perfect for those binge "are you still watching" Netflix marathons with lots of pizza and rosé!) The fit.

I have no negatives for this set and am likely to pick up the Beige version in the near future.

I think this khaki green looks great on every skintone so again, is a great safe colour when you start building your collection (other khaki styles can be found here).

I just hope the material keeps and doesn't go fuzzy after a couple washes, because I will be wearing this ALOT!

I've loved trying these pieces from Femme, felt so good to lounge in style!

Thank you to FemmeLuxeFinery for the pieces!

Fiona x

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Quarantine treats: Bromley's Bakes

FemmeLuxeFinery: Loungewear Collection | AD