Monthly Archives: March 2011

Living Nature Gentle Make-up remover

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I have just tried this Living Nature Gentle Makeup Remover from MyPure. I really needed a decent make-up remover as recently I have found I am being left looking like a giant panda when removing my mascara. It’s an interesting look but I can’t see it catching on at any time in the future.

This is a gentle make-up remover which means its great for sensitive skin and as usual with MyPure products its sulphate and paraben free.  It apparently contains Harakeke and Kumerahou.  I had no idea what these were so I had to investigate. They are plants that are native to New Zealand which have lots of fantastic properties.

The first thing that struck me about this product was the bottle. It has a curved front but the back is flat. This makes it much easier to store on my shelf than normal round bottles which take up a lot of room.

So how well does it work? It does a really good job of removing eye make-up. My normal panda look was gone with a couple of wipes. It is lovely and gentle and did not sting which some eye products can do.  It does have a strange smell, not a nasty smell but a strange smell. This was soon gone however so can be overlooked. This product is available from My Pure and costs £11.50

Acorelle Epilation Roll On Deodorant from MyPure

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This month I decided I would try Acorelle Epiliation roll on deodorant from My Pure. This sounded a great idea to me, it is a deodorant that reduces hair growth as it contains natural hair growth inhibitors. Apparently these are extracted from black truffles which is rather clever. I was intrigued to learn this was discovered by a French chemist who decided to find out why nothing grows under oak trees when black truffles are in the soil. Like all MyPure products it is free from sulphates and parabens

So what did I think of this product. The container is a nice handy size and looks rather smart. The deodorant has a rather strange smell but it is not strong so this is easily overlooked. As a deodorant it works really well. I demonstrated this by running for a bus on a hot day and ending up all sweaty, apart from under my arms where I had applied this. This also demonstrated I need to get fitter but this is a different story.

After using this for a couple of weeks I have to say that it really does slow down hair regrowth.  It does exactly what it says its going to do.  The deodorant is £12.99 for 50ml but it does last well.

A small giveaway

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Recently I reviewed a selection of First Aid Beauty Product which I found were a lovely product. Following on from this I have a small giveaway for my readers.

It is a First Aid Beauty Essentials Kit which contains Face Cleanser, Daily Face Cream, Gentle Body Wash and Body Moisturiser and is ideal for popping into your suitcase for those weekends away.

So how do you win? Read my last review on First Aid Beauty and let me know which of these products you would like to try. Leave me a way to contact you eg a twitter name.

Entries will close at midnight next Monday (4th April) and I will draw the winnner using a random number generator. One entry only and good luck all. UK only.

First Aid Beauty Products

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First Aid Beauty Products or FAB beauty are a new product that is just being launched this month. It has been available in the US for some time where it has proved very popular. It will be available in Boots store and is a product that is good for sensitive skin as well as normal beauty needs.  It is paraben and phthalate free as well as containing no chemicals and fragrences that can cause skin problems. I was recently lucky enough to be sent some of this  product to try.

I was sent four products, Restore Cream, Ultra Repair Cream, Eye Cream and Face Cream. The first thing that struck me about these products was the packaging. It has a a clean and almost 1930′s art deco look which is very eye catching.  Now lets look at the individual products:

The ultra repair cream is an intense repair cream for really dry problem skin. If you have eczema or other skin problems this may be ideal for you. It is a really rich cream and is really soothing. Unlike many emulsifying products which can be very greasy and sit on the skin for a long time, this is absorbed quickly.  It is a really thick cream but it just seems to disappear within seconds of applying. This is fabulous because I really hate greasy products. This made a real difference to my skin which can be really dry at times and I would defnitely use it  in preference to my normal products.

The Restore cream is billed as a 5 in 1 age delay cream. It helps prevent signs of aging while nourishing the skin, reducing wrinkles and uneven skin tone.  It also contains SPF 30 which is an added bonus. Its a strange translucent white in colour which is actually rather nice. After using this for a week I definitely saw in improvement in my skin tone and it my skin looked a lot more radiant. My skin was more moisturised as well.

The face cream comes in a pump action bottle. This made a strange squeaking sound when I first tried to use it, but once the cream reached the top it was fine. Again this is a 5 in 1 product with sun protection and is anti-aging. Used in conjunction with the eye cream this was a lovely moisturiser and I can definitely feel the difference in my skin.  I definitely like all these products and would recommend them.

Having looked at Boots I found that the Age Delay Face Cream retails for £28, the Restore Cream is £26 and the Eye Cream is £22. This is a bit more than I would usually pay, but with these products a little goes a long way. I also found that my skin was much improved which to me is definitely worth the investment.

The Census

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Yesterday was census day and this meant filling in a very long form with information about you, who lives with you and where you work. This information is then sent off to the census office and put on file. This snapshot of the Bristish population happens once every ten years and everyone has to fill in the form on the same day. The census information is not available to the public  for 100 years. The census started in 1801 and has been done every 10 years since then.

So why do we have a census? In the short term it gives the government a view of how many people live in the UK and allows them to plan for the future.  The longer term view however is one that is more fascinating. If you ever decide to research your family tree the census gives you a unique insight into what it was like to live 100 years ago.  If you know an address you can look at who used to live in a house, how many people there were and more interesting what jobs they used to do.  You find information about a way of life that no longer exists now. You may find your great grandparents used to work in the mills as children, something that no longer happens today. You may find family secrets like a child that you never knew existed.

When filling in your form, be aware that in 100 years time your great-grandchildren may be looking at it to find out what you used to do. You are writing history.

Walkers crinkles crisps – a sneak peak

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I recently received aa brown box containing two packets of walkers crisps to try. These are new Walkers Crinkles - “with more flavour in every grove“. I suspect the packets I were  given  must be secret as they were labelled research and development. The crisps I received were Cheddar and Onion flavour.

I took them to work to try at lunchtime and I hid in my corner, wearing a disguise in order to eat them! Well they are secret crisps and I enjoyed being a Walkers spy

This is what they look like when not in the packet.

As you can see they live up to the name, they are very evenly crinkled. I would love the potato slicer that does this! You could see the flavour on the crisps if you looked at them but this did not detract from the nice look. They had a nice feel, not greasy as some crisps can be. Anyway what do they taste like?

They are really crunchy which is very nice. I think they are crunchier than the orignal crisps. They have a lovely cheesy flavour which is not spoiled by too much onion. They also have a very nice aftertaste. These are lovely crisps and I look forward to seeing them in the shops.

From brief investigation it appears they are going to be available in Simply Sea Salted, Cheddar and Onion, Salt and Malt Vinegar and Sweet Chilli. I am looking forward to trying these in the other flavours.

You Are Next by Katia Lief

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Detective Karin Schaeffer was a happily married mother until she got too close to catching a serial killer. Now she has lost her husband and child and is no longer in the police. The killer was called the Domino Killer because at each crime scene he would leave a trail of dominoes as his clue to the next victim. After killing Karin’s family he left a message in blood saying “You are next”

Martin Price has been locked up in jail after Karin discovered him. He is the Domino Killer and is also known as JPP (Just Plain Psycho) due to the brutality of this attacks.  Now he has escaped from prison and is on his way to find Karin and keep his promise. Karin has promised her family she will not kill herself but letting the killer kill her is another matter. She waits in her apartment as she knows he is on his way. However when he turns up she realises the trail of death will not end with her and decides to fight back. Unfortunately JPP escapes and Karin knows she has to deciper the clues to the person who is next on the list before it is too late.

This is a gripping book, as you read it the plot becomes more and more intricate. Karin and her old partner Mac Macleary are hot on the trail of JPP.  They find him but come to realise that is not the end of the trail and he has a partner. Now Karin’s neice is missing and its a race against time. The plot although intricate is easy to follow and as you read you feel like you are looking over their shoulder trying to work out who the killer is. Once you start this book you will not put it down until you reach the end. Definitely worth a look.

My bucket list

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Everyone is familiar with a bucket list.  Immortialised in the 2008 film The Bucket list about two men dying of cancer, they set off to do a list of things they have always wanted to do before they die. This is my bucket list, but its a list with a twist.  As you know I am a comper, which means I enter competitions as a hobby. This is my list of things I would like to win before I die. Alternatively it could be called a list of things that might cause me to die of shock if I ever won them!

I don’t like making lists for the comping fairy, I prefer nice surprises so its not very long. Anyway here it is:

  • A phone call from ITV. I think this one is every compers dream, a phone call from ITV to say they have won one of the big prizes.  I often wonder how I would react if I got this call. Would I run round the room screaming, or would I stand to the spot rooted in shock. I wait with suspense to find out
  • A laptop or netbook. This one should be easy to win but for some reason its always eluded me. I would love one for my OH and he might start getting the hang of computers.
  • A big TV for my living room.  At the moment I have aTV that has a life of its own. It is a great big black box, it does not have a remote and the volume goes up to really loud and then down to really quiet whenever it feels like it. To replace this with a TV that actually works would be amazing.
  • A BBQ, especially now the summer is on the way.
  • A Playstation 3, something for me to have fun on.

And thats it. Now to see if I can achieve any of these things before I die.

Earth Friendly Kids Natural Body care products

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I was recently sent a set of the Minty Lavender range of products from Earth Friendly Kids to review. To help me in this task I enlisted my ten year old son, who was rather thrilled to have a testing mission.  The products we were sent were Minty Lavender shampoo and body wash, Minty Lavender Bubble bath, Minty Lavender Handwash and Minty Lavender Body Lotion. The products use all natural ingredients,  and do not contain any sodium laureth or any parabens. This is brilliant as for children with problem skin as these are known irritants.

First thing I noticed about the packaging was the labels.They feature a range of superkids and in fact the products carry

the tag line that they are products for superkids. This really appealed to my son.  The labels show different children and a dog and on the back they all come up with a unique idea for saving the planet. This caught my sons imagination and he was very pleased to be thought of as a superkid and started coming up with strange ideas almost instantly.The products themselves were in nice shaped bottles, which were ideal for smaller hands.

The first product we tried was the Minty Lavender Bubble bath.

I was not sure what the smell was going to be like, but it was actually quite pleasant. A bit more minty than lavendar but not overpowering.  As you can see a small amount of the product actually produced a large amount of bubbles and they lasted well. Usually the bubbles have vanished by the time my son finishes splashing around in the bath but this time they were still there. He was very pleased as he got to spend time building bubble castles.

Along side this product he tried out the Minty Lavender shampoo and body wash. Its a nice idea having a shampoo and body wash all in one as its less products lined up on the side of the bath and your children know exactly what to wash with. This created a nice amount of lather and the great thing was the lid only let a small amount of the product out at once. My son has been known to be a bit over generous with shampoo which means they get used up very quickly so this is ideal. Currently he has decided he likes this product so much he is not going to use it until he has used up all his other shampoo i.e saving the best till last!

The minty lavender  body lotion comes in a pump top dispenser which is great as it meant my son could manage it himself without getting lotion all over the place. The lotion feels a bit sticky at first but it soon sinks into the skin leaving it soft and smooth. The scent is again more minty than lavender but it is nice and it seems to last on the skin very well. My only concern about this is that with the pump top it may not be possible to get the bottom of the product out of the bottle, but I will not know until I reach the end.  This is good for dry skin as well as it seems to really calm it.

The final product we tried was the Minty Lavender Handwash. Again this was in a pump top dispenser which makes it easy to use. I left this by the sink and I must say it worked brilliantly in making my son remember to wash his hands. He was really pleased to have a product that was just for him. It has a nice smell again and leaves the hands feeling soft.

If you are not keen on the idea of mint and lavender, they also do a Zesty Citrus range which I have not tested.  The products are a reasonable price, the RRP for the Minty Lavender shampoo and body wash, Minty Lavender Bubble bath, Minty Lavender Handwash is £3.99 and the RRP for the body lotion is £4.99.  They also do wipes which are always handy to have.

My son loved these products and I would definitely consider getting them again in the future.

The Burning by Jane Casey

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The Burning is the second novel by Jane Cassey. It is a thriller set in London. A serial killer is on the lose,  called The Burning Man due to his habit of beating young women to death and then setting fire to them in secluded parks. Four women have been killed and now a fifth body has been found.

Maeve Kerrigan is the detective constable who is investigating this murder. She is ambitious but has to work twice as hard as she is a woman in a mans world.  The victim is a girl called Rebecca Haworth. Rebecca was a golden girl, enjoying a fast paced lifestyle which seems to have fallen apart due to a drug habit she could no longer afford. Her friends are strange, Louise North who is very cold and self-possessed but appears jealous of other friends of Rebecca. An ex-boyfriend, Gil Maddick, handsome brooded and dangerous. Maeve speaks to her family and friends she becomes more sure that Rebecca may b e the victim of a copy cat killer.

The book is well written and emjoyable. It is writen from the perspective of various people involved so at one point we may be seeing the story from Maeves viewpoint and the next moment from Rebecca’s frend Lousie’s view.  This could have been confusing but it worked well and pulled the story together. I liked the way investigation started as a hunt for a serial killer and then diverged into a hunt for two killers.  The book keeps you gripped till the end and you need to keep reading to find out what the ending is going to be.  It is fast paced and you are never left bored. I really liked the character of Maeve and would like to see her in other novels.