Fantastic Haircare: Natural, nurturing shampoo & conditioner bars

Pure Anada’s new Shampoo and Conditioner Bars are formulated to be kind to your hair and kinder to the environment. I love these shampoo and conditioner bars. They do the job wonderfully, all while smelling gorgeous and being good for the environment.

Packed with the powerful cleansing and nurturing properties of plants these small puck-shaped bars deliver high-performance, eco-friendly haircare.
shampoo, condoner, bars, eco-friendly

Pure Anada is handcrafted in the Canadian prairies from fresh, wholesome ingredients where they incorporate the goodness of nature into each of their products. Using ingredients derived from nature, luxurious plant oils, nourishing butters and ethically mined minerals are combined to create a comprehensive range of nurturing bodycare, skincare and haircare products with clean, natural formulations that are free from common allergens and not tested on animals.

Pure Anada is available in the UK exclusively from

Live in the Light – the online natural and organic lifestyle store www.liveinthelight.co.uk

shampoo, condoner, bars, eco-friendly

Pure Anada Shampoo Bars – £9.95
Shampoo Bars from Live in the Light
NEW: These pH-balanced shampoo bars are made with Ecocert approved, biodegradable, non-toxic surfactants. Infused with conditioning cocoa butter to cleanse and nourish scalp and locks – they work beautifully for all hair types!

Small but perfectly formed – at just 7.5cm round and weighing in at only 115g they will provide shampooing for up to 100 washes – the equivalent to 2-3 bottles of liquid shampoo (16oz).

Easy to use: Wet the shampoo bar in the shower stream, lather in the hands, and then apply shampoo to hair or rub the bar directly onto the scalp and throughout hair. Create a foaming lather while massaging the scalp and working the shampoo all throughout the hair. Rinse thoroughly.

Pure Anada Solid Shampoo Bar – £9.95

What is it that makes a solid shampoo bar different from a homemade bar of soap?

Soap is made from oil or butter and lye, in a process called saponification. This process results in a finished product that is great for cleansing the body, but has much too high a pH for the hair. Pure Anada’s solid shampoo bars, on the other hand, have a lower pH and also contain surfactants, breaking up the trapped dirt and oils on the hair and scalp gently, so they can be washed away with water.

Why is pH important for a shampoo bar formulation?

Our skin has mechanisms that regulate its pH, but hair does not. The surface of healthy skin will eventually return to its natural, slightly acidic pH after washing with soap—even with a higher-pH soap (many of them are between an 8 and a 10.)

Hair on the other hand can’t; it doesn’t heal and balance on its own. For this reason, it’s important to understand that one of the major sources of hair damage is using products with the wrong pH on the hair. Depending on an individual’s hair type and health, washing once or twice with soap might not immediately be a problem, but it can cause damage over time.

Pure Anada’s shampoo bar formulation is pH balanced, making it safe to use on a regular basis. It is not the same as a bar of soap which contains saponified oils which are a higher pH.

Pure Anada Conditioner Bars – £9.95
Conditioner Bars from Live in the Light
Follow with Pure Anada’s Conditioner Bar…
Detangle, smooth and hydrate hair with this concentrated, eco-friendly conditioner. Shea Butter nourishes each strand without weighing it down.

Presented in the same cost-effective 7.5cm puck these solid Conditioner Bars also offer the equivalent of 2-3 bottles of liquid conditioner (16oz)

Wet the Conditioner Bar in the shower stream, lather in the hands, and then apply the conditioner to the hair or rub the bar directly onto the scalp and throughout hair. Those with oily hair may prefer to only apply conditioner to the bottom half or to the ends of their hair. Work the conditioner throughout the hair and rinse thoroughly.

Pure Anada Solid Conditioner Bar – £9.95

Pure Anada’s Shampoo & Conditioner Bars are available in six fabulous, natural fragrances…

A Wedding in the Country By Katie Fforde Review

Katie Fforde a wedding in a country

Katie Fforde is a writer who needs no introduction, such is the weight of her talent and accomplishments. She is a national institution. Each one of her books is eagerly awaited and I cannot pretend I was not excited to receive this one. A Wedding in the Country is the perfect novel for these times. It is set in the 1960s which is a decade I have always loved (despite being born a few decades later). It is the perfect book to get lost in. The book has so much depth and I felt like I had been transported to another time. I loved the character of Lizzie and I could not wait to follow her journey. Get your hands on a copy of this dazzling book now. It is like a hot bath at the end of a tough day,  perfect up-lifting escapism.

This book is the most autobiographical for Katie Fforde. The book follows Lizzie who has arrived in London to do a cooking course, which Katie herself did, and Lizzie meets two other girls who become her best friends and moves into a run-down house in Belgravia. Her mother is determined she should have a nice wedding in the country to a Suitable Man chosen by her. But Lizzie wants to have some fun first.

Thank goodness for Katie Fforde. The perfect author to bring comfort in difficult times. She really is the queen of uplifting, feel good romance.’ A.J. Pearce

 Katie Fforde lives in the beautiful Cotswold countryside with her family, and is a true country girl at heart. Each of her books explores a different profession or background and her research has helped her bring these to life. She’s been a porter in an auction house, tried her hand at pottery, refurbished furniture, delved behind the scenes of a dating website, and she’s even been on a Ray Mears survival course. She particularly enjoys writing love stories. She believes falling in love is the best thing in the world, and she wants all her characters to experience it, and her readers to share their stories.

A Wedding in the Country is available here.

 

Skinsmiths, the chain of trusted clinics dedicated to ultimate skin confidence

Skinsmiths, beauty, beauty reviews, skincare. For those who do not know Skinsmiths yet, they are a chain of trusted clinics dedicated to ultimate skin confidence. You can buy their products, or you can get curated skincare for your skin needs. You can also have a membership. We reviewed some of their products to get our glow back.

Wake up with the glow your skin deserves. Skinsmiths Overnight Glow is an exfoliating treatment, packed with a mix of high concentration active ingredients  – say goodbye to dead skin cells and clogged pores. And, hello to softer, smoother, glowing skin.

• Boost radiance

• Smooth skin texture

A mix of AHA’s, including Glycolic (7%) and Lactic acid (2%), clear away skin build-up on the surface helping skin appear smoother and brighter.

Salicylic Acid (BHA) (1%) soothes the skin while exfoliating the surface and deeper into the pores for calm, clear skin.

With a concentration of over 10% acids, this is a high strength treatment is perfect for oily skin, dry skin, acneic skin, dull skin. Everyone can benefit from a great exfoliant.

We loved this. It works so well and gives a gorgeous glow. 

Next up was the Hydration Booster. This was much needed. It gives dry skin what it needs. Impressive. 

This Hydration Booster is jam packed with ingredients that draw moisture into the skin. It this floods the skin with hydration and helps your skin to retain it too, leaving it plump and replenished.

We also loved the reusable cotton pads. They are so much better for the environment. 

These dual textured cotton pads are gentle on skin and the environment.

What they do

  • Remove makeup and impurities.
  • Delicately clean around the eyes.
  • Reduce the need for disposables.

 

You can also take out a membership to Skinsmiths.

  • A membership provides
    you with:
  • A personalised treatment schedule
  • Regular reviews
  • Expert advice

 

SKINSMITHS.COM

We really loved the products. 

 

What’s Galentine’s Day? Well it’s only the best day of the year

Valentine’s is about who you love and who loves you. Created by one of our favourite fictional characters, Leslie Knope of Parks and Recreation, Galentine’s Day is a day dedicated to showering your closest girl friends with love and attention… more than you do already.

We’ve put together our top picks to show your bestie you love her. We love the Only Curls Satin Sleep Turban from onlycurls.com and the silk exfoliating glove no1illume.com. The Rubis tweezers are the best tweezers I have ever used. Quick, send your Galentine some love now….

 

Stokke’s Tripp Trapp High Chair Review

I know I bang on about sustainability a lot and some of you might even be sick of hearing about it. However, I need to talk about the Stokke Tripp Trapp high chair. It is a gorgeous high chair that lasts from birth all the way to, well, the rest of your life. How is that for sustainability?

The high chair itself it stylish, with stunning design. It is well-made of course. I would not expect anything less. I put the high chair together myself. Well, with the help of my two young children who insisted on joining in. I found it easy. That said, I did it via a YouTube video and not the instructions.

stokke, high chair, tripp trapp.

I absolutely love the high-end Scandinavian baby brand Stokke and I am not the only one;  Alesha Dixon, Katy Perry, Joe Wicks, Rochelle Humes, Jessica Alba and even Ronaldo all love them too.

stokke, tripp trapp, highchair, review,

Stokke’s iconic Tripp Trapp high chair grows with your child, which can include an additional Newborn attachment. The Newborn Set for the Tripp Trapp chair brings your baby into the heart of the family from day 1 – to develop and learn alongside each other and allow for moments of bonding between all family members. The chair can also include a baby set and can hold up to 136 kilos, meaning your chair can last a lifetime. Tripp Trapp was born in 1972 and have sold more than 12 million chairs. Impressive. I now people who have had theirs for decades.

Available from stokke.com, johnlewis.com and many other good outlets.

 

Extra protection from germs in the gym – new virus killing clothing brand AVIRO

New virus killing clothing brand AVIRO is what 2021 needs.

coronavirus, covid, clothes, virus killing. coronavirus, covid, clothes, virus killing. Launched in the first lockdown in April, AVIRO creates facemasks and clothing using HeiQ Viroblock technology which kills 99.9% of viruses on contact, including COVID. Initially designed for the healthcare sector, the New Zealand family ran brand have recently introduced a range of apparel designed to protect wearers whilst working out, perfect for those eager to get back to the gym but looking for an extra level of protection and reassurance whilst doing so.

The lightweight, breathable tops come in a range of long and short sleeved crew necks and polos for both men and women. Starting from £36 the fitness apparel doesn’t maintain moisture, which allows for less washing and makes them odour resistant whilst the virus killing technology protects against germs picked up from machines or mats.

The material feels lovely against the skin and the T shirt looks great. Clever and stylish. Count us in.

Pura Baby Wipes and Nappy Review

There is a lot of guilt when it comes to parenting but thankfully, I can stop worrying about baby wipes thanks to Pura. They also do eco nappies. Yes and yes! We reviewed them both so read on.

pura baby wipes and nappies.


Pura make the most environmentally-friendly nappy possible, without compromising on nappy performance. I love the feel of the nappies and they do not have that chemical smell a lot of brands do. They do not leak and look comfortable (if only babies could talk). I was impressed with the nappies in all areas: look, feel and performance. Pura nappies contain no nasty chemicals, perfumes or allergens.  The materials they are made from include soft sustainable organic cotton for baby’s comfort and a super absorbent core made with certified natural plant fibres.

This is what Pura say: “Our nappies are created with 100% green electricity and no production waste, and our super absorbent core is made with certified natural plant fibres. Wrapped in recyclable packaging, our nappies have been awarded the coveted EU Ecolabel.

Every day, in the UK, 8 million disposable nappies are thrown away. Going the extra (greener) mile, we’re working with the UK’s only nappy recycling company NappiCycle to keep these nappies out of landfill and repurpose the material for use in affordable housing and in notice boards for nurseries, schools and businesses. So, relax and use these nappies knowing you’re striking the best possible balance between a happy planet and a happy baby.

As for the perfect nappy? We’re working on it.”

Pura baby wipes have changed my life. I can now wipe bottoms, or anything else, without plastic and guilt. They do not smell and they can even be flushed down the loo. Pura baby wipes are 100% plastic-free, 100% biodegradable and 100% compostable, made from sustainable plant fibres
· Each Pura wipe contains 99% water and organic aloe vera and no perfume, alcohol or chlorine
· Pura baby wipes are available in flushable, with the Fine to Flush accreditation, and non-flushable options. The baby wipes are suitable for sensitive and eczema-prone skin, certified vegan and are accredited by the British Skin Foundation, Allergy UK, the FSC and the Soil Association
· Pura is the most accredited baby care brand on the market, with a unique, simple labelling system listing the product’s eco-credentials for parents
· The first baby wipes in the UK with a Fine to Flush stamp of approval, and an ambition to be the first Carbon Neutral baby care brand
· The only baby brand to be teaming up with the Woodland Trust to help support the sustainability of the UK’s natural environment
· Pura’s baby wipes are approved by midwives and are dermatologically and clinically tested

We at Frost applaud this and cannot recommend them enough. Frost loves.

Go to  my pura to get yours.

 

 

REVIEW: Pinocchio, Chichester Festival Theatre

Photo credit: Manuel Harlan

 

 

 

 

 

 

That any live theatre has gone ahead this December is a Christmas miracle in itself. In Chichester’s annual Youth Theatre production, however, there is a double dose of wonder; against all the virus-related odds the show has not only gone on, but it’s an absolute belter.

Usually boasting a cast of almost one-hundred, in order to manage social distancing this year’s CFYT offering is presented by two smaller teams of twenty-three, with Team Fox and Team Cat splitting the performances. (On Press Night Team Fox were performing, but I am reliably informed that Team Cat are every bit as accomplished.) Directing a full-scale production to meet the pandemic’s stringent safety measures, on and off the stage, is an extraordinary feat of choreography, and one that all those involved in achieving must be congratulated.

Hope, redemption and realising that our differences can be strengths rather than weaknesses are themes that run through this abridged version of Carlo Collodi’s original tale, which has been superbly adapted by Anna Ledwich. Managing to be gloriously heart-warming without straying into sentimentality, Director Dale Rooks has infused Pinocchio with emotions and moments that truly resonate. One such instance is when Pinocchio and Geppetto ‘hug’. Standing apart, they wrap their arms around their own bodies, bringing a lump to the throat and an ache to the heart – oh to hug again!

On stage there’s not a single below par performance. Archie Elliot (Lewis Renninson) in the title role plays the headstrong little puppet with absolute conviction. Pinocchio may be made from wood but he has guts, heart and spirit, ensuring that we are rooting for him all the way. Alfie Ayling (Jack Campbell) as Geppetto is warm and wistful, playing the lonely carpenter with a maturity beyond his years.

There is excellent work too from Meg Bewley (Molly Berry) as the Fairy and Annalise Bradbury (Olivia Dickens) as Cricket, her exasperated sidekick. Marvellous cameo gems include Alex Webb (Noah Peirson) as a chatty French poodle – très magnifique!

The ensemble work is extraordinary. Matching talent with energy,  it is ultimately in the production’s togetherness that its success lies. A masterclass in how a completely cohesive company can create something magical, the story flows perfectly, the singing and dancing are stunning and the set, simple but oh-so clever, is breath taking.

The overall effect is wonderfully uplifting. Moreover, there is a sense of the fantastic; a promise of enchantment. And it delivers. With Christmas bells on.

Vicky Edwards