Tag Archives: Reviews

Oppo Brothers Ice Cream: Famous for Flavour, not Calorie | Frost Loves.

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We have fallen completely in love with this delicious ice cream which is healthy for you and the planet. It is all of the indulgence with 60% less calories and sugar (they use stevia and other natural ingredients) than regular ice cream. The warm weather is coming and there is no better way to celebrate it than with Oppo Brothers Ice cream. The ice cream has protein in it and lots of other natural ingredients that are good for you. I am a particular fan of the Double Chocolate Brownie flavour. 

Even my children love this ice-cream. If it pasts the kids test you know it is a winner. It tastes good and it does good. What more could you want?

Launched in 2014 by brothers Charlie and Harry Thuillier, Oppo’s mission is to create feel good indulgence, without compromising health or planet. Ice cream gives everyone a little lift, and with the sun shining and temperatures rising as we head into summer, Oppo delivers the most indulgent flavours, with up to 60% less calories and sugar than regular ice cream, and no compromise on taste. The first major ice cream brand in the UK to launch a nationwide ice cream delivery service, Oppo customers can get hold of exclusive flavours not available in the shops – arriving in perfect frozen condition. Furthermore, 10% of online profits go to the NHS, meaning #GoodTemptation has never felt better!

oppo brothers ice cream oppo brothers ice cream

Feel good

Ice cream sales exploded last year as Brits treated themselves at home, with an extra 54 million litres going through the tills in 2020₁. Whilst some sought out comfort in calories, others embraced healthier lifestyles during lockdowns and tucked into better-for-you treats like Oppo, with this healthier brand seeing a 40% global increase in sales, and 140% in the UK, more than any of its competitors in the marketplace. In the last 6 years Oppo has saved 5.23bn calories from people’s diet, or 600,000kg of fat, when they choose Oppo over standard ice cream, showing that feeling good can taste good too! 

Only the finest natural ingredients

Oppo brings indulgence without compromising health, using all-natural ingredients from all corners of the earth to provide an all round feel-good ice cream. Fresh meadow-grazed cow’s milk is sourced from a sustainable dairy local to the Oppo creamery. Hero ingredients, which keeps the % of sugar and calories at bay include organic Peruvian Lucuma fruit, known as the ‘Gold of the Incas’ which naturally provides a rich caramel flavour for the Double Salted Caramel. Pure Columbian Cacao Fino de Aroma is ethically sourced and used in chocolate ice cream flavours. Stevia leaf brings the sweetness, without the calories or any nasty additives, whilst Madagascan vanilla seeds, cinnamon from the jungles of Sumatra and fruit are bursting with flavour. 

Flavour is everything

Natural ingredients combine to create the ultimate frozen treat, whatever the weather. With combinations ranging from zingy lemon to crunchy buttery biscuits and mouth-wateringly rich chocolate, there is something for everyone, including a growing list of plant based vegan options:

  • Caramel Cookie Melt

  • Vanilla Pecan Praline Crunch

  • Colombian Chocolate & Hazelnut

  • Double Chocolate Brownie

  • Double Salted Caramel Swirl

  • Canadian Maple Walnut Crunch

  • Very AlmondBerry (vegan)

  • Simply the Zest (vegan)

  • Madagascan Vanilla & Roasted Almond Ice Cream Sticks

  • Salted Caramel Ice Cream Sticks

  • Colombian Chocolate & Hazelnut Ice Cream Sticks

The Oppo Ethos

Oppo believes in #GoodTemptation, doing right by people as well as the environment. Oppo sources their milk locally, from cows that are free to roam naturally, and where circular farming methods are used to control waste and secrete it into a local forest to reduce C02 impact. For every sustainably-managed tree cut down  for the packaging, Oppo plants five more, and their packaging plant runs on green energy. Removing the gold foil from Oppo packaging means that it is easier to recycle, and reduces the energy used in producing it. Cocoa farmers are paid above the market rate, and profits are invested into the local community to build schools and other infrastructure. 

About Oppo Brothers

Brothers Charlie and Harry Thuillier conceived the idea for ice cream that makes you feel-good (indulgence at no expense to health) in Brazil in 2011 whilst breaking the world record for the longest distance travelled by kite. It took 2.5 years to create their first recipe.

Entrepreneurs Charlie and Harry Thuillier pitched their idea on Dragons’ Den, asking for a £60,000 investment for a 7% share of the business. Despite failing to secure the investment, the brothers went on to quickly raise over £1.1m in funding through the Seedrs platform, of which investors have now sold for significant profit. In 2016 tennis champion Andy Murray tried Oppo and loved it so much he invested in the ice cream dream, helping to introduce Oppo to over 140k people. Since then they have become the only lower calorie ice cream brand to win Great Taste Awards, and refuse to compromise on health or taste. Charlie and Harry believe that their success is down to Oppo’s focus on quality of product and premium, natural ingredients, plus an understanding that consumers are unwilling to compromise on taste. 

Oppo is sold in 12 countries worldwide and is stocked in Tesco, Sainsburys, Waitrose, M&S, Booths, Ocado and more in the UK, as well as being available online for delivery. 

RRP is £4.50 for a 475ml tub 

www.oppobrothers.com

 This Summer they launch two new flavours – Double Chocolate Brownie and the UK’s first CBD ice cream – Choc ‘n Chill with CBD.

Fantastic Haircare: Natural, nurturing shampoo & conditioner bars

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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…

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

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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. 

 

Pura Baby Wipes and Nappy Review

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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.

 

 

Love and Comfort with the Baby Carrier Move.

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Both of my children spent much of the first years of their lives in a BabyBjörn. I cannot recommend BabyBjörn enough. They are the Rolls-Royce of baby carriers. The Baby Carrier Move is the latest carrier and it has the same high-end engineering as its predecessors.  It is made from an airy 3D mesh fabric that I love, it also dries quickly after washing. 

The Baby Carrier Move is stylish and easy to get off and on, it is also easy to manoeuvre. Another reason I love baby carriers is because I find it easy to breastfeed in them. I put a light breastfeeding scarf over the carrier. You can even do it while you are walking. Freedom for mama. Frost loves. 

BabyBjörn is promoting love and comfort with the ergonomic Baby Carrier Move, a carrier designed for simplicity in the home or out and about, for use from day one, all the way to 15 months. The superior back support and an ergonomic waist belt makes the Baby Carrier Move super comfortable for parents, and as with all BabyBjorn Baby Carriers, little ones love being carried, being close to their parent’s heart as they grow and can explore the world together.
Baby Bjorn, baby sling, Babybjorn, baby carrier,

The baby carrier’s thin and flexible 3D mesh fabric ensures that a newborn baby is sitting in a perfect position and the size of the baby carrier can be adjusted as the baby grows. The soft fabric hugs the baby’s back, legs and hips, and provides good support. For the first five months, the baby is carried facing inwards and then parents have the option of carrying their baby facing outwards. The baby carrier is fully adjustable.

Thirty million babies have been carried in a BabyBjörn Baby Carrier since the very first one – Close to Heart – was launched in 1973. The company, which was founded in 1961, continually develops and simplifies its baby carriers to be able to offer parents babywearing equipment that suits their family. It’s important that a baby carrier adapts easily to the baby’s size and the family’s lifestyle.

 “We have tested Baby Carrier Move with a large number of test families in their home environments and on long walks over a long period in order to make sure that it’s comfortable for both parents and babies.” says BabyBjörn’s Josefin Kleremo, project manager for Baby Carrier Move.

Baby Carrier Move is acknowledged as hip-healthy by the International Hip Dysplasia Institute (IHDI). https://bit.ly/2IH41b1

BabyBjorn, baby carrier, review, BabyBjorn, reviews

The baby carrier is made of an airy 3D mesh fabric that breathes well and dries quickly after washing. The fabric has been specially developed for BabyBjörn’s baby carriers and meets the requirements of OEKO-TEX 100 Class 1 for safe textiles for babies and toddlers.

Baby Carrier Move is available from www.babybjorn.co.uk in the colours Light Grey, Navy, Anthracite and Sage green. Recommended Retail Price:  £119.99

 

Nap times, politics and radical feminism? New book explores Mumsnet today.

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the politicisation of mumsnet, politiczation The Politicization of Mumsnet

 By Sarah Pedersen

Publication: 15th October 2020

PB, £16.99, ISBN: 9781839094712

I have to be honest. My feminism has dulled at the edges the past six months. Two children under five and numerous work commitments have left me with a lethargy towards feminism and politics in general. Well consider me awake now. I forgot about the feminism threads on Mumsnet. I also forgot at how much snark Mumsnet gets because of its perceived anti-trans reputation and middle class readership. Personally I think that everyone who attacks Mumsnet for being middle class, and for assuming it is so, rude. I also note that Reddit and 4Chan have users with controversial views and no one gangs up on them quite as much.

The Politicization of Mumsnet is a brilliant book that is well thought out and researched within an inch of its life. It had so many facts it blew my mind.  Mumsnet is a huge achievement and it has saved countless women lives. Women generally becoming Mumsnet users during the most vulnerable, and isolating time of their lives. Men and Women are relatively equal until women have babies. Women’s biological clocks also put them at an unfair disadvantage. Read this book and you will want to level the playing field. An absolute triumph for Sarah Pedersen.

You can listen to Sarah Pedersen on Women’s Hour here.

‘This book dispels two myths about Mumsnet:  that it is heaving with entitled, middle-class yummy mummies, or drowning in hate and bigotry… This book is informative, amusing and a call to feminist action.’ – Julie Bindel, writer and activist

Whether you love it, loath it or are totally baffled by it, Mumsnet is a social-media phenomenon.  It now has 14 million users and over the past two decades it has grown to become the largest parenting website in the UK.

As the site developed, Mumsnet discussion topics evolved beyond traditional ‘mothering’ subjects to encompass politics, feminism and current affairs.  In fact, it now bills itself as a ‘site for grown ups’ with limited moderation and a commitment to free speech.  Brands swarm to it and it is a ‘go to’ source for journalists seeking a female viewpoint.

 In The Politicization of Mumsnet, Sarah Pedersen from Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen, explores Mumsnet’s role as a powerful and influential forum, including its use by politicians to try and secure the votes of middle-class women in the UK. The 2010 General Election was even dubbed “the Mumsnetelection” highlighting a growing awareness that women discuss politics online in places that have been traditionally perceived as non-political.

Its active community of users has led to high profile campaigns about rape awareness, miscarriage care and the premature sexualisation of children. The type of campaigns that Mumsnet supports is driven by the interests of its members, but also the realities that the site itself has had to face relating to libel.  Mumsnet has become part of the establishment in its contributions to government inquiries and as a place for ministers to air policies for families and children.

However, in recent years, Mumsnet has also become a central part of a resurgent women’s rights movement in the UK.  Understood as a safe space for gender-critical voices, the site has spawned real-life activism and continues to be both praised and attacked for its support of free speech on controversial subjects.  Pedersen argues that its openness to these discussions has allowed the site to function as a subaltern counter-public.  This development has led to both praise and bitter criticism of the site and a positioning within a resurgent grass-roots radical feminist movement in the UK.

Sarah Pedersen asks where does Mumsnet go from here?  While there is no doubt that the site will continue its campaigning on issues that concern its members, it must also continue to offer a space for women to discuss issues that are important to them, and to share and receive support and comradeship.

Fans and critics alike would do well to remember the quote from Robert Campbell after Mumsnetters had caused his agency’s advertising campaign to collapse within 48 hours……. “Don’t mess with Mumsnet”

About the Author:

Sarah Pedersen is Professor of Communication and Media at Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen. Her research focuses on women’s use of media, particularly for political purposes, using both contemporary and historical sources.

 

The Politicization of Mumsnet By Sarah Pedersen is available here. 

 

Vahdam Teas Releases New Range of Sustainable Adaptogenic Turmeric Teas

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I have become obsessed with turmeric and putting it in things. I even add it to my tea. I had my inflammation makers tested by Thriva recently and I had little to low inflammation in my body. I think this is thanks to all of the turmeric I consume. I have been reading a lot about nutrition and I have recently done a Harvard course in nutrition. The evidence that turmeric is good for you is pretty solid.  I decided to go all out and try actual turmeric teas and turmeric latte. 

I tried the Turmeric Ginger teabags and the latte mix. Both are easy to use and I think they taste great. Granted, not everyone likes turmeric, but I find that if you persevere with it, it grows on you. Even if you were not a fan to begin with. I am a fan of Vaham teas.

Award-winning family-run ethical and sustainable luxury tea brand VAHDAM Teas has launched a new range of ​certified organi​c and​ vegan turmeric teas and latte mixes. 

turmeric, turmeric teabags, teabagsBlending premium-quality immune-boosting Indian turmeric with ingredients and superfoods including ginger, ashwagandha and moringa, the range is 100% natural and caffeine-free and packed with powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.

turmeric, turmeric teabags, teabags

VAHDAM Teas brings India’s finest teas and superfoods to conscious consumers around the world – as endorsed by Oprah Winfrey, Mariah Carey, Martha Stewart and more. VAHDAM Teas is also a certified ‘Climate Neutral’ and ‘Plastic Neutral’ brand, and donates 1% of its revenue to educating its tea growers’ children under its social initiative,‘TEAch Me’.

Vaham Teas are available here.

Introducing Little Hoppa, the award-winning range for children.

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play table, reviews, parting, toys, review, little hoppa The Little Hoppa ® 3-in-1 is the ultimate baby toy and smartest investment you will ever make as a new par- ent. The adventures are endless!

Made completely from sustainable, non-toxic and planet-friendly materials, this multi-functional toy transforms from a wooden baby gym to a baby bounc- er, to a children’s activity table. It’s innovative design grows with your child, keeping them entertained from birth to 4 years.

Each stage is filled with new discoveries that spark the imagination, whilst developing dexterity and strength. Plus, it’s award-winning good looks mean you’ll never need to store it away.

The Little Hoppa story

It started with a list on a scrap of paper…..

A tired new Mum with a passion for interiors sat surrounded by plastic baby products that were functional but oh so lacking in style.

A tired new Mum searched high and low for products that were fun for her baby, kinder to the planet AND would complement the contemporary home she had so lovingly designed.

A tired new Mum could not find the products she so desperately wanted, and so, whilst feeding her new baby, on a scrap of paper she set about writing a list of all the things that she could only dare to dream existed.

And in that moment the Little Hoppa was born.

Designed by Mum of two and successful interior stylist Sofie Hepworth, the Little Hoppa addresses a serious gap in the children’s market for plastic alternative, multi-functional, children’s toys that are fun for kids, kinder to the planet AND stylish too!

https://bysofieofficial.com/product/little-hoppa-3-in-1