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The highlights: What is it?: it is a spray cleaner that, according to the advert, is capable of cleaning through build up of dirt on the underneath of a used pan by a simple spray and rinse. So, by extension, should be able to clean through all tough stains! Does it work? No, not at all, not even in the slightest. Would I buy it again? Absolutely not! Other options?: loads of cleaning products and each time I trial another new one I am more often let down than not. However, I will keep going because that’s the whole point of this blog! Where to buy: I got this from here on the basis of an advert I saw on Facebook. The product: Here is the Facebook advert: Here is what turned up: I don’t think I need to elaborate anymore on these videos...they definitely speak for themselves! Avoid this product! And the worst part is that this company now send me regular e-mails trying to get me to buy something else! I am pretty sure what they sent me is the same stuff you get in bubble wands as a kid! It certainly smells like the same liquid! If only I’d know I could have got it for 99p from the corner shop! With love Rebecca xxx

The highlights: What is it?: Its a bag in a bag - reusable for shopping etc. Does it work? Yes. Would I buy it again? Yes. In fact, I now own 3. Other options?: Lots of bag in a bag options out there, but none that I have come across that are as good as this one! Where to buy: I got them from B&M and haven't seen this particular bag in a bag anywhere else, or any that have the same features that makes this one stand out. I LOVE THIS BAG IN A BAG: Since plastic carrier bags became chargeable, there has been a boom in bags on the market that you can buy that come within their own bag to keep them nice and neat. There's tonnes of different types and manufacturers out there, but what I don't like about other bags I have seen is that once you take your reusable bag out of its container bag, you then have to put the container bag somewhere like your handbag or pocket. Worse still, when coming to put them away, I had to spend time folding a bag so that it would fit back into its container bag. Who on earth has time to spend folding away a bag to fit back in its bag! NO MORE! This bag in a bag comes with a couple of little features. Aside from being cute as hell with these little animal faces on the bag (note there are plain options available, but these were too cute!): There is a also tag that attaches to your belt, bag, handbag etc so that you don't have to go hunting for your bag in a bag inside of a bigger bag. Then, and this is the true game changer, the bag stays attached to your bag: No more hunting for the bag to put it away, or worse still, loosing it somewhere! This bag is always attached to its bag! The only potential down side is that the bags can come out creased, but that doesn’t worry me at all, and once the bag has stuff in it, it soon stretches out. So all in all I love this product! Everything I need it to be! And all for £1! Boom! Feel free to click on the “f“ below to share to Facebook, and subscribe to keep up to date on new posts With love Rebecca xxx

Bamboo for your bum - who'd have thunk it! The highlights: Where to buy it: Naked Sprout Does it work? Yes. Would I buy it again? Yes. Other options?: Yes there are. However, whilst other companies are creating more environmentally friendly toilet rolls, Naked Sprout do a sample box for £2.99 that includes 2 toilet rolls and shipping, so it won't break the bank to give it a go. Why should I care? This year I have started to look into more sustainable alternatives for the products that we use regularly. In the cases where they are not sustainable, then at least those which have a less negative impact on the environment. In my quest for hunting down these unknown gems that help me feel like a better person, I came across Naked Sprout. A UK based company, Naked Sprout offer a toilet roll alternative to the standard high street options that are cutting down trees and polluting our rivers and skies in the name of making our lives more luxurious. I had no idea of the number of chemicals that are used on toilet rolls to make them white and soft! According to Naked Sprout's website, the chemicals include a massive list of scary sounding things. The full list can be viewed here and it includes a host of chemicals I don't even understand, but amongst them is bleach - if someone told you to pour bleach on your skin you definitely would not do it, so why would you use toilet paper that has been into contact with it? All of these chemicals poison the waterways, damage the environment and are bad for our health, according to the UK based company. So I looked into it myself... It transpires that the production and disposal of toilet roll does have a significant detrimental impact on our environment. According to an Ethical Consumer report in 2019 the negative impact of toilet roll is far reaching. Their report can be accessed at here check it out - it is a bit terrifying! So Naked Sprout do not use chemicals, and make their toilet paper out of bamboo. What's more, every box you buy, according to their website, gives safe water to a child at school in Kenya for a year via a charity called "Just a Drop". The product It arrives in a cardboard box - so no plastic wrapping at all, which I love. The cardboard is recycled and can be recycled itself. One side of it is quite rough but the other side is as soft as the standard high street brands I have historically used. Not being white feels a bit strange but after one toilet roll, seeing a white one there instead feels strange now! I am sold, and converted. I will be purchasing this toilet roll moving forward. That said, if my income drops I may not be able to afford this anymore. Whilst I have the money I will be purchasing it, as increased sale results in lowered costs to the consumer. Although I am on a mission to improve my personal carbon footprint, I totally understand the expense of these toilet rolls may mean that I won't be able to continue using them in the future. Until then, I will do my bit. Feel free to click on the “f“ below to share to Facebook, and subscribe to keep up to date on new posts. With love Rebecca xxx

The highlights: What is it?: It is a crocheted sock that you pop your soap in, and then hang in your shower Does it work? Yes. Would I buy it again? Yes. Definitely, but it is reusable, and I bought 2 so I can use one and wash one, so I may not have to. Other options?: Yep - loads. Where to buy: I got it from here but there's probably loads of places that sell this sort of thing - a quick google and, yep, there are... The product: This is a crocheted little pocket with a hole in the top where you thread the hanging section through so that you can pop your soap in and hang it in the shower. It means that you can use soap instead of shower gel, thereby reducing unnecessary plastic use. It also reduces wasted soap itself as it keeps it all nice and snug inside the pocket whilst allowing soapy suds to work their way out. You have a whole host of soap options out there too - from the standard run of the mill high street options to the organic and handmade. I used a dove sop in mine because I think that is probably one of the largest soaps on the market, and it fits snuggly in the pocket. The soap sock is made from cotton, so can be washed and reused between each soap. The down sides: I genuinely haven't come across one yet - you have to lather it up to use it, but that's true of any soap. It may be harder to use as the soap gets smaller, but I am purely guessing at this point because my soap is still going strong. I will do an update if, during my soap sock journey, I discover a down side...promise. With love Rebecca xxx Feel free to share on Facebook, or subscribe below.

The highlights: What is it?: A replacement for the plastic sponge. Does it work? Yes. Would I buy it again? Yes. Other options?: Not that I have seen yet, but please let me know if you come across any. Where to buy: I got them from here but it looks like Kerry has her own ebay shop too with free delivery. There is also a facebook page . There are also a few other places that stock them, so you can also google it. The product LIKES: So I really like this. It is longer than most sponges or other cleaning pads available on the market, and can be bent in half to go around pan lids etc. as it is more like a thick cloth in texture than a traditional scrubber. It is biodegradable, so once you are done with it it will not harm the environment, or you could chuck it in your compost heap! 100% plant based and vegan, they are described as even the inks having been tested for harmful substances! The Scrubbies have a bamboo lining which is described as being naturally antibacterial, so that's a bonus, and will alleviate any fears of nasty bugs breeding within it. Plus, they are machine washable, so watch this space to see how they fare after a wash. If washable and totally reusable without any issues, I will be super impressed! They are advertised as being reusable for 3-12 months, which is pretty impressive, and will replace multiple plastic sponges in this household across a year. Plus, if one lasts 12 months, then this will also save pennies in the long run - cost per use is an important calculation. It also works well on cleaning the kitchen surfaces. One side of it is made of interwoven bamboo threads, which creates an rougher surface for scrubbing, and the other side is a softer material, so can be used like a cloth. I have not yet tried them on cleaning the bathroom, but when I do I will provide an update here. Even my dad said “This is alright this, isn’t it?” High praise, I can tell you! They also come in over 80 designs, so you are bound to find ones that can match your kitchen or bathroom. LIKE LESS: The issue was in cleaning cups, and maybe it is just that when brand new it is not very pliable, but the middle of the base of the cups I just could not get to so I had to use the sponge on those. These cups are fairly narrow though, and the wider cups did not present a problem. The future of this product I will continue to use Scrubbies in the future (or Scrubby if only one?) and have a sponge on standby for the occasional times that I can't reach somewhere. That said, I have also now googled environmentally friendly sponges, so watch this space as I hunt down some to buy and review. Either way, I believe in the idea that every little action can help make a difference. Even if I end up using a few sponges a year for those odd moments I need them, but use a more environmentally friendly option the rest of the time, then I will be actively contributing to a better world. In addition, and in the interests of transparency to you my readers, I need to make you aware of my personal bias that I believe in supporting local, independent or small businesses as much as I can. Kerry's Scrubbies is a UK based business, that appears to be one woman working out of her house, so this has inevitably had an impact on my review. However, mostly I was impressed because I believe in supporting businesses that are taking innovative ideas and pushing new boundaries, which is what this business is doing: bravo Kerry's Scrubbies! With love Rebecca xxx

The highlights: What is it?: A garlic press that presses the garlic flat against a hard surface, as opposed to squishing it through a small space like traditional garlic presses. Does it work? I guess, but it is hard work. Would I buy it again? Nope. Other options?: Yep - lots - an I will keep my eye out for a other impressive looking garlic presses: I am a big fan of things which make life easier. Where to buy: I got mine from Warmday UK , but if you google it, there's lots of online shops selling this or similar. The Product: So instead of the traditional garlic press, where you pop the garlic in a hole and squish it down, this one you pop the garlic on the worktop and push the press on top. Pros: It is easy to clean, and fairly easy to use. Cons: It takes a lot of pressure for this to work. I tried on a whole garlic, which failed miserably: Then I sliced the garlic, which worked better, but I still had to put my whole body weight behind it to get it to work: So yes, this does work ok, but it is not as impressive as I was hoping. The video on Facebook made it look like this was dead easy to use with minimal pressure, and this is simply not the case in practice. I have used other products for garlic crushing before I started this blog which were cheaper and easier to use. I shall see if I can remember where I ordered them from to review them in full! The disappointment: I bought this product because of a video on Facebook, but the product I received is not the same as that in the video. It is similar, but the one in the video was all metal and looked of a better quality than the one I ordered. Don't get me wrong, when I clicked on the link on the video, it took me to the website which pictured the exact same product I was sent, but this is a pet hate of mine: just advertise the product you are actually selling! I was in a rush and did not notice when clicking on the link from the video and being taken to their website that what I was buying looked slightly different to the one in the video. Maybe that's on me, but when I have googled this, I think this is bordering on an example of what trading standards describe as "bait and switch": where you show an awesome product - the bait - but then sell them something that isn't as good - the switch. So, Warmday UK, if you are out there and listening, please do a new video showing the actual product you sell! Its not hard! If I can do a video, so can you. I am not one to shy away from admitting my mistakes though: we learn more from the things we get wrong than the things we get right! So I will learn from this mistake, and in future pay extra attention to the product on the website I am ordering compared to the video that enticed me in! With love, as always, Rebecca xxx

The highlights: What is it?: Magnetic earrings that are supposed to result in weight loss simply by wearing them - perfect idea if you are trying to get rid of additional weight caused by lockdown! Does it work? No Would I buy it again? No Other options?: I have googled it and there are other types of these copycat acupuncture type earrings of different shapes and sizes Where to buy: I got mine off an ebay shop, but there are loads of places selling these Did you know I have started e-mailing with notification of new posts? Wanna be kept in the loop? Would be lovely to have you! You can subscribe by clicking here . The product: Like everyone, I have put on weight during lockdown that I am now trying to get rid of. I have been doing slimming world for a while, and whilst I have lost some weight without having to exercise at all, I have now hit a wall. My weight loss has depressingly plateaued off. It is my own fault! I know I need to start exercising, and it is my intention to start running again (I am a wimp and stopped in the winter because it was too cold and miserable!). So before I start running again, I thought now would be the perfect time to try these. They are strong magnets and they do stay on all day, in fact, I found them quite painful after a while. You do not wear them to sleep in, so I did get some respite when I took them off on a night. They look quite gothic when wearing them, and they are very reflective, as you can see from the picture I took where you can see me reflected in them! I have been wearing them for 2 weeks whilst maintaining a healthy diet but not doing any exercise...here is my weight loss app that connects to my scales... As you can see, it has made no difference whatsoever to my weight loss. I also still have a raging appetite similar to that of a horse! So on both counts of dropping weight and suppressing appetite, these magnetic earrings failed miserably for me! Maybe for some people these do work, but I have done my research, and I cannot find any medical peer reviewed evidence or studies that support that these work. I suspect it works for others based on a psychosomatic phenomena, what is more familiarly termed "the placebo effect", as opposed to anything else. Am gutted! Guess I am just going to have to start going running again! No weight loss cheating for me! I was really hoping I could eat a chocolate orange danish every day and still lose weight! Wishful thinking! With love Rebecca xxx ps - if you want to join my mailing list with notifications of new reviews, you can subscribe - please do! The more the merrier! :)

The highlights: What is it?: This is a shampoo and conditioner which claims to "to promote hair growth and help reduce hair loss" Does it work? I don't think so. Would I buy it again? Nope. Other options?: Yep - lots of products out there claim to achieve hair growth and reduce hair loss. I haven't tried any of them, and to be honest, won't bother after this experience. Where to buy: I got these online from BondiBoost The product: It looks very flash in slick bottles, and it smells amazing - like a eucalyptusy minty heaven. It definitely wakes you up in the morning (conversely, I would not recommend using this just before bed time). It is administered using a pumping system, and it does successfully clean and condition my hair. The experiment: I measured my hair by drawing on a white t-shirt the hair start point...I then measured it 4 weeks later to see my normal hair growth...I then started to use this product and measured my hair another 4 weeks later. Then I thought maybe 4 weeks was not long enough, so I have continued to use this and measured my hair again on15 April. My normal hair growth revealed a 2mm increase. My hair growth after using this product revealed (at best) 3mm hair growth. My hair also feels and looks no thicker than before. Even after prolonged use, I cannot confidently assert that this product does what it claims to do. The Verdict: I just don't think this product really works, and I am absolutely not comfortable with spending this much money on a product that does not work to the value of £33. Sorry BondiBoost, I will not be buying this again. With love Rebecca xxx

The highlights: What is it?: Coffee that has at its heart a need to contribute to the locations in which it grows the coffee to protect birds, mammals, insects, plants, and the wider environment, as well as provide fair price for the coffee growers. Does it work? Yes. However, a better question on this maybe, is it any good? Again, the answer is yes. Would I buy it again? Yes. Definitely. Other options?: Not exactly like this, but there are lots of sustainable and socially responsible coffee options on the market. Where to buy: I got it from here The product: Well, it's coffee. It's nice coffee. With dark chocolate tones it was yummy. Truly yummy. You can even sign up to a subscription so you never miss a morning coffee. So why is this coffee one to review? Well, the ethos of this company results in a whole host of incredible things, and you can review their information in full here , but in summary: 6% of sales is donated to RSPB. The coffee is Fairtrade, which means that the farmers who are producing the coffee are paid fair money for their hard work. This naturally makes the coffee slightly more expensive than other options, but only by about £1 - I can take a hit on £1 to make sure someone else in the world is being treated fairly. The coffee is Organic. Some coffee production uses pesticides, which have a detrimental impact on the environment. Organic coffee does not use pesticides. It is shade grown coffee, which means that they cultivate various plants to create the shade grown environment to produce this coffee. This in turn does the following: Helps to preserve tropical agroforests; Creates diverse plant species; Provides safe havens and rest spots for migrating and native birds; Increases insect diversity by providing them with amazing homes in which to thrive; Promotes mammal diversity by creating homes in which they can settle down and be safe and happy, without the risk of deforestation - this forest has been created to make the coffee, so it is not going anywhere; Increases and protects bee populations as they are attracted to the diverse plants used; The tree roots help to reduce soil erosion and to bind the soil together, making it more stable and reducing the risk of surface water run off, and by extension all the potential damage that comes with that; Helps to suck up the carbon in the surrounding area, thereby contributing generally to the environment. WOW - that is truly coffee that gives back, and it is yummy. Plus, it means you start every day with a warm fuzzy feeling that you are proactively contributing to making the world a better place, and what better joojoo to start your day on than that! Please on the “f“ below to share to Facebook, and subscribe to keep up to date on new posts. You can also click on the F at the tope of the page to like / follow my page... With love Rebecca xxx

The highlights: What is it?: It is a tiny fluffy dog that purports to act like a real dog Does it work? No. This is the biggest load of rubbish and misrepresentation in advertising that I have experienced on the internet so far. Would I buy it again? Absolutely not. No way on this earth. In fact, I have requested a refund. Other options?: Dunno - it was such a let down I didn't even bother looking. Where to buy: I got it from here and am sharing this with you so that you can avoid this site like the plague The product: The cutest little face ever! Shame that is the only thing about this dog worth being positive about! This is advertised as having human body sensors which follow instruction, 20 types of actions, tail wagging function, simulation comfortable hair, and imitation dog barking. The video shows teenytiny dogs following you as you walk around. Literally chasing you as you run with the human body sensor follow function in full throttle. It comes across on the website as a perfect example of a pet for a child who is desperate for a dog, but who is not allowed one in fear of being unable to live up to the responsibility that comes with this. Normally in giving a review I go into details, pros, cons, ups, downs. In this instance, I feel that this is simply not necessary because this...THIS is what I got... If Zoration are willing to misrepresent products in this way, then I urge you to never ever buy from them. I will update whether or not they give me my money back guarantee promise, or if they will ignore me for all eternity in a cyber blackhole. Feel free to click on the “f“ below to share to Facebook, and subscribe to keep up to date on new posts With love Rebecca xxx

The highlights: What is it?: a silicone cone that pops inside itself to trap your hair in a curl without needing to use heat Does it work? Yes, but definitely needs styling when the rollers come out Would I buy it again? Yes Other options?: Tonnes of other no heat curl options out there, but I haven’t seen these before Where to buy: I got these off an eBay shop, but there’s loads of places selling these if you google it. The likes: These are super easy to use to the point where you don’t really need an amazing mirror....I used a little desktop one to just check that I had picked up all the hair. My hair stuck to the silicone rollers quite well. Other rollers I have tried are a nightmare to get the curl started as my hair falls off the curler, but because these are silicone they have a bit of a rubbery-silicone-stickiness going on. Also, once they are curled up, you simply push the bottom of the curler over and it flips on top to trap the hair beneath it, so no need for clips or hair pins. The instructions say to use these on dry hair and to leave these in for up to 30 minutes, but my hair does not style well, so I left them in for an hour. Taking them out is easy too. Just unpop them and let them roll out. The dislikes: The rollers come in two sizes only: small and large, and you only get 10 in a pack in total, so you’ll need a few packs to do all your hair. The curls don’t look great if you take the rollers out and plan to leave your hair down: However, they work really well and look pretty for use with an up do: I also gave this a go by leaving them in overnight. As they are made of silicone, they are not too uncomfortable to sleep in, and I popped a shower cap on top to keep them in place as best I could. Sleeping in them did make the curls last for longer but by the time I woke up some of the curlers had dropped to halfway down my hair so the curl was only at the bottom half of my hair. Again, fine for an up do, but not for taking them out and having bouncy curls all day. All in all, if you prefer no heat curling for up do‘s and don’t mind using hairspray to keep the curl for longer, these are a pretty good buy. With love Rebecca xxx

The highlights: What is it?: It is a powder that you use in the same way as a toothpaste. Does it work? Yes, but the results are not very dramatic Would I buy it again? Yes, but I think it is best suited to maintaining whiteness after a whitening treatment. Other options?: Loads and I keep seeing them pop up in my Facebook news feed since I bought Smirk teeth brightening powder Where to buy: I got it direct from Smirk but since they upped their price, you may prefer to go to somewhere like Amazon I trialed Smirk teeth brightening powder by using it every 3 days for 2-4 minutes in accordance with the pack instructions (which says to use it 2-3 times a week). I have been using this for about 6 weeks now. It is a blue-purple coloured powder that you dip your toothbrush in and then brush your teeth as if using regular toothpaste. Using Smirk teeth brightening powder does create a kind of froth (not as much as normal toothpaste) and it stops frothing at about the 3 and 1/2 minute mark. It says that it is mint flavoured, but I would describe it more as tasting like over the counter cough sweets that you get in newsagents and corner shops with a hint of mint. If I am being honest, after prolonged use, the flavour of this started to make me feel a bit ill. Smirk teeth brightening powder did whiten my teeth over time, but the results were not dramatic. I would say this product is probably best suited to maintaining whiteness after using a more dramatic whitening product or treatment. That said, you do get a lot of product for your money so it can be used across the whole year in this maintenance kind of way and it comes in a plastic tub with a flip top lock lid which means it it protected from moisture caused by steam in the bathroom. With love Rebecca xxx P.S. Please note that this blog post may contain affiliate links. When you click on the link and purchase the product, I receive a small commission.