A hair mask for my Worzel hair

I’ve been treated to another lovely product to review for the Daisy Green gals. Here it is…

I’ve suffered with my hair. While it’s soft and pleasant to the touch visually it’s a nightmare.

It looks like straw, and is frizzy, unmanageable and just very badly behaved.

Any moisture in the atmosphere is guaranteed to turn my mane into a Grinch-like bouffant.

I’ve tried oils, conditioners, sprays and potions galore. None make a long-lasting difference.

Twenty four hours respite from the Worzel Gummidge look is the most I usually get.

The label.m therapy age-defying recovery mask offered me a glimmer of hope. It promised to quickly transform my weak, dull, aged hair into strong, radiant and youthful looking hair.

Using the product was a joy. Scooping out the thick, luxurious gloopy cream out of the sleek purple jar released its beautiful fragrance. Slathering that luscious gloop onto my parched barnet was pure indulgence.

My hair instantly felt softer and smoother – and that was while it was still wet!

After drying and styling it looked less frizzy and hadn’t taken on a greasy look as often happens with intensive hair conditioners.

I have used the mask a couple of times a week, as recommended, for about four weeks now.

While my hair still has an uncontrollable urge to frizz at will, it does feel tamed and tends to hold its heat-induced (guilty secret: I use straighteners) style a little longer than before.

It’s not a miracle cure for me, but it certainly lets me swap my Gummidge head on occasion to a more styled and sleek look.

Beyond organics cleanser and moisturiser review

I’m loving reviewing beauty products it has to be said. I’ve written up this one for Daisy Green Magazine this evening, but just couldn’t wait to publish it.

It’s for a cleanser and moisturiser from Beyond Organic Skincare’s new age defying range.

I wouldn’t say that I’m any more obsessed over my skin than the average 30-something woman, but I do take the trouble to cleanse well and I do enjoy a luxurious moisturiser.

So when I was asked to try a cleanser and a moisturiser from Beyond Organic Skincare’s new age defying range I was keen.

This new collection is made with 100 per cent natural ingredients and combines the latest scientific know-how with clinically proven active botanicals.

The Ultra Radiance Age Defying Cleanser uses gel-to-milk technology that washes off with water without containing any harsh surfactants or chemicals.

I was impressed with its ability to wash off eye make-up and it left my skin feeling really clean.

It was a pleasant change not to use cotton wool and it smells fantastic.

The Ultra Radiance Age Defying Day Cream is crammed with natural active ingredients that have been clinically proven to be effective in wrinkle reduction, which is great news for my rapidly ageing skin.

It’s a potent skin cream that is absorbed swiftly and left my skin feeling super-soft.

After weeks of using it I definitely feel toned and less wrinkly. I especially feel that the ever-deepening smile lines I’ve noticed around my cheeks have lessened.

These creams do come with a price tag but the products are highly-concentrated, so a little goes a long way and should last a long time.

I don’t want mine to run out!

A cloth review!

A spot of spring cleaning I thought would really put my Chicopee J-cloth to the test.

Grubby floors, dusty window sills, soap-encrusted basins – yes my house needed a thorough deep cleanse.

At first glance the Chicopee J-cloth is paper-like and rather, well, thin. I envisaged it ripping and disintegrating once infused with cleaning fluid and used for a bit of vigorous wiping.

It easily stood the test of my elbow power.

Thin it may be, but the cloth has magical-like absorbent powers, is super-stretchy, rinses really well and is robust enough to be used on a variety of surfaces – including rough wooden floors and tiled areas. I even tried one on my outside decked area.

It dried really well too so can be re-used time and time again. Moreover, this fabulous little cloth is compostable and biodegradable so is better for the environment. Perfect!

Freedom Specialist Services, a green cleaning company, sells these cloths and many more lovely environmentally-friendly products.

A heavenly facial scrub review

One of the perks of working closely with the lovely ladies at Daisy Green Magazine is that I occasionally get asked to review beauty products. In fact this is the first and there are a few more in the pipeline.

This review is for Heavenly Organics ‘Invigorating Tea Tree Moisturising Facial Scrub’ and was first published on the Daisy Green Magazine website.

I’ve always been a bit obsessed with facial skin scrubs following bad advice during my teen years when I was told to use a kitchen sponge scrub!

Years of experimenting and trying different products for my sensitive dry skin that flares up with occasional spots means that I now have a list of firm favourites. Its a rare occasion when I add to the portfolio.

So when I tried Heavenly Organics ‘Invigorating Tea Tree Moisturising Facial Scrub’ I was pleasantly surprised.

Its simple ingredient list (unrefined Soil Association certified sea salt, organic extra virgin olive oil, and organic tea tree essential oil) reassured me that I needn’t expect any reactions to chemicals and additives – it happens to my sensitive skin a lot – and the scrub was environmentally sound too, which is a requisite I hold dear.

I used the scrub for the duration of around six weeks and really noticed a difference. The antiseptic and antibacterial properties of tea tree oil helped to keep away pesky spots that crop up on occasion, and the sea salt exfoliated my skin with enough ‘feeling’ that I felt clean but gently enough that it didn’t leave a mark. The olive oil made my skin feel utterly soft, and frankly rather fabulous.

It’s definitely a keeper in my beauty product case!

Newcastle eco event helps businesses tap into green economy

What a great day the Big Eco Show in Newcastle was!

Hundreds of businesses turned up on Thursday 18 April to find out more on how the green economy can help them. The Big Eco Show brought together and showcased businesses from across the region and focused on how they can grow and build their resilience within the green economy.

The key note speaker, entrepreneur Tim Cantle-Jones, spoke about the importance of the green economy and explained how it offers a new way of doing business; co-operation and collaboration rather than conflict and competition.

He outlined the opportunities for business, for the North East region and invited thoughts on the collective vision of what the future will look like if we get it right.

The Big Eco Show is the only place to be for firms wishing to gain inspiration and ideas around the emerging green economy to assist growth, to improve resilience to the impacts of the changing climate, and also to reduce costs by cutting emission

I am thrilled with the success of the Big Eco Show. Interest in the show has been exceptional and everyone we spoke to during the day told us that there was a real need for an event like this. We already have plans in the pipeline for a third Big Eco Show in Sunderland in the autumn.

If you want to find out more just drop an email to Nicola@daisygreen.me

Check out pictures from the day on Pinterest. Enjoy!