Sweaty Betty for Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Top Quality Sportswear:

I have some pieces from Sweaty Betty which are undoubtedly some of the best gym wear I've ever used: classy, functional, and great quality are attributes that we all like, right? 

I don't tend to promote the brand overly though, as I feel they are a little behind the curve in speaking out about ethical practices and eco materials. Having said that though, I did buy some woollen running leggings in their sale and am just waiting for some chilly weather so that I can try them out- I will let you know how they work out for me! 

Charity Initiative: 

However, they have a current promotion which everybody can get behind: with October marking the start of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, they are donating £1 from every Sweaty Betty sports bra purchased this month to CoppaFeel!, a charity on a mission to raise awareness among young people.

Well done Sweaty Betty, I'd love to see more brands getting involved in this type of initiative. 

You can use this handy guide to see which bra is best for your workout: 

Sports Bra Guide

Yoga Bloomers Review & Greenfibres Discount

Ethical Sportswear

As you will know, I am a big fan of ethical things to wear whilst exercising. But finding clothing that fits the bill, and still ticks all the comfort and style boxes is easier said than done! 

Which is why I was thrilled to discover that Greenfibres, based relatively close-by in the South West of England (in Totnes in Devon) have a great little selection. 

Working on my Wild Thing

Yoga Clothing:

I fell in love with their Yoga Bloomers before they even arrived; charcoal grey: my favourite colour, pockets: yippee, high waist: even better, relaxed fit without a harem-style low crotch: bingo!

And when I received them I was not disappointed: they are made from wonderfully soft organic cotton in a great medium weight. I was also delighted by the accompanying handwritten note, the herbal teabag, not to mention the Greenfibres catalogue- what a treasure trove!

A magic little package

Wear the waist turned up or down

Deep waistband and cuffs

Style:

There is no compromise on style with these bloomers: the deep fold-over waist band and matching cuffs give plenty of character and femininity. 

I was impressed with the fit too: it is always difficult when buying online to know if something is appropriate size-wise, but they are true to the size guide which is very helpful. 

Relaxed and Comfortable

To The Test:

Putting these bottoms to the test in my yoga class I was really impressed that they were not too hot, and that they stayed in place, also allowing plenty of flexibility. They are not so loosely cut as to feel like a drag, but loose enough to allow movement. 

I particularly the fact that the Bloomers are the right length to be worn as relaxed joggers, but that if you want to turn them into crops you can just slide them up, and the cuffs keep them in place. 

As you can imagine, this was useful for my post-yoga paddle. I can see that I will be wearing my Bloomers often: they were so comfortable that I couldn't take them off after my yoga class!

Perfect for Paddling

I will buy some other bits from Greenfibres. I have got my eye on some undies, perhaps a yoga bra to wear with my fantastic bloomers. Plus, I just adore their unisex Breton sweatshirt. Their range is so good that it would be worth checking there first to see whether they stock an eco version of whatever it is you're looking for! 

Bloomers for all occasions. 

Discount Code:

And, I'm thrilled to tell you that I have a discount code to share with you! Just quote pixie10 when you buy and get your 10% off! Click the banner below to go straight there. Thank you Greenfibres, it is great to work with you!

Product kindly supplied by Greenfibres, all opinions are my own.

Shop Review: Hendra, 9 Lemon Street, Truro

I have often walked past this shop after it has closed, and been curious. Today I got the opportunity to visit during opening hours, so I thought I would review the experience here:

Hendra, Truro

The Review

First Impressions:

Set in the smart Lemon Street, Hendra has a clean and slick outward appearance. The window displays that I have been so drawn to on my previous visits to Truro are what enticed me in: creative and fresh, they exude luxury without seeming snooty. 

I had been under the impression that this was a health food store though, so I was slightly surprised to find that fully half of the shop floor is given over to beauty products and cosmetics, and that there are treatment rooms upstairs. Even now I am slightly unsure about whether the treatments on offer are health and beauty, or holistic treatments. 

From the Hendra Website

Product Selection:

We noticed a broad range of healthy snacks, teas, and cooking ingredients, such as you might expect from any good health store. I noticed a good selection of Ecover products. There were also jars of local honey which impressed me. 

On the beauty side, there was certainly copious choice: from Burt's Bees and Neals Yard to other less memorable brands, with a varying degree of what I like to term 'naturalness' (I did see a few laureth sulphates despite being under the impression these were all unnecessary), most budgets were catered for.  If you have a favourite range it might be easier to find what you need, especially as sometimes things seemed to be arranged by brand, and sometimes by function. 

Service:

The service was friendly and attentive. There were plenty of employees, who greeted us positively and answered my questions. We also noticed an elderly lady with mobility difficulties being sensitively cared for and aided around the shop. 

Did I buy?

Yes. I did eventually manage to pick a shampoo from the almost overwhelming selection. Plus I was tempted by this raw cacao powder- it looks so tasty, and I have some recipes which I'd like to try out. We also located these chocolate sesame snaps, which we haven't been able to find on sale anywhere for genuinely years. A quick glance at the expiry date (next month) suggests they might have been hanging around for a while, but I doubt they will last very much longer in our house. 

I also wanted some Coconut Palm Sugar, which Hendra do stock. In fact they stock a bumper-sized pack in a rather nice tin, at about £7 if memory serves me. However, I did not wish to carry it around in my backpack all day and so I did not buy, but I might consider picking up a pack in future. 

Shopping from Hendra

Overall Review:

This was a pleasant shopping experience, and I will certainly visit again, armed with a list. 

Whilst I did appreciate the clean, modern feel of Hendra, I also slightly missed the type of vibe some health stores have of being a community hub- often with a notice board stuffed full of handwritten ads for toddler groups and meditation. Is that just me... ... ...?


Edited March 31st: I have just received a helpful communication from Hannah at Hendra:
We try to cater as much as possible to our customers needs, and where possible if we don’t stock a product we will order it in especially.  We had a refit last year which involved moving quite a bit of the stock around to encompass more space for the beauty products, which are becoming our best sellers, and the eventual aim is to link our hair and beauty salons more with the store.  In fact the Beauty therapists have recently undergone the REN spa training and are hoping to offer the treatments soon.