Dry January with Heineken 0.0 Alcohol Free Sample Review

 

Dry January for me isn't that difficult, I only drink wine or spirits possibly 1 or 2 units a week, albeit this does depend on whether my son is losing at FIFA and I can hear the desk slamming. Joking aside I suffer from something called 'Asian Flush', which basically means that my body doesn't contain the enzyme to digest alcohol well. Nearly 50% of the Asian population suffer from this, and for me it stems from my late fathers DNA made up of mainly Chinese, Japanese and Burmese. The result is 1 unit and I am bright red in the face and I can get heart palpitations. So I am always on the lookout for a decent non-alcohol beverage that doesn't make me a cheap date. 

There are many reasons aside for 'Dry January' to just going along with the 'trend' to omit alcohol. Not only does it cause liver damage, dehydration and a huge host of side effects, but it is also expensive and pretty much January most of us are cutting back on the finances after Christmas. That saying we need something to drink be it at home watching Netflix or having friends over for a take-away, and sometimes a cuppa just doesn't cut it. 

I was lucky enough to be sent a case of 0.0% Heineken to test, well I say lucky it was my friends that were lucky to receive it, as I don't drink beer. I put it to the test of 4 friends NYE (at the stroke of 1 minute past midnight) - and here's the feedback. 

"The beer is refreshing and clean tasting".

"It must be served cold for the full effect so keep it in the fridge"

"It's up there with some of the best of the rest for the taste of beer without alcohol"

"It looks the same as any other beer and has the right amount of gas/froth".

The reason why there is not much difference in the alcohol version is that the beer is made using exactly the same ingredients as the alcoholic version, 5% ABV Heineken Original. For those watching their weight it's only 69 kcal per bottle/can 330ml. Not only is it available to buy on the shelf, but it is also soon to be a great addition to many British pubs, as this year 2022 will roll out in draught form. It's the first of it's kind to be included next to other draught beers and will feature in hundreds of pubs. This goes without saying that it will be incredibly popular, and will be a huge welcome for many drivers and those who have to take medication.  

Heineken 0.0% is available in 4 and 12 packs of 330ml bottles, and a 6 pack of 330ml cans in major supermarkets and convenience stores. RRP £3.50 (4 pack) Tesco. 

Noughty Tough Cookie/To The Rescue Hair Sample Review

 

Whilst I've written a lot on the damaging effects partying/winter can have on the skin, similarly environmental factors also subject our hair to the same distress. Over-styling with heated appliances, alcohol, central heating, lack of vitamins etc can all cause our hair to become dry, lank and brittle and that's before the bleach/hair dye is applied! 

My hair in particular is bleached with blonde highlights, my saving grace as my naturally dark hair is too much of an upkeep with grey roots, and so I try to keep it strong enough to ensure that my hairdresser doesn't send me away with a semi-permanent - I need that bleach! So I've been testing lots of hair products and Noughty is a brand I wanted to introduce you to.

Noughty is a brand that prides itself on using 97% natural ingredients, being vegan friendly, cruelty free and using none of the harsh chemicals that are often found in mainstream brand shampoos, such as sulphates (foaming agent), parabens and silicones (that give shine but long-term damage the hair). They also pride themselves on obtaining ingredients ethically and using sustainable packaging, so it's not just what goes into the product but the all round product itself.

A look at some of the ingredients in the products. Starting off with the Strengthening Shampoo £6.99 250ml  for weak, brittle hair.

• Hippophae Rhamnoides Seed Oil - aka Sea Buckthorn, known to be regenerating and helps restore elasticity in damaged hair.
• Rubus Chamaemorus Fruit Extract - Cloudberry Extract, contains rich sources of vitamin E and contains fatty acids to nourish the hair.
• Vaccinium Myrtillus Fruit Extract - Bilberry Extract, helps stimulate the hair follicles and promote hair growth.
• Juniperus Virginiana Wood Oil - Cedarwood helps promote hair growth and is balancing for oily hair types, it's anti-fungal and anti-bacterial so ideal if you suffer with dandruff.
• Wheat Bran Extract - repairs and strengthens the hair shaft, it can also add volume to fine lank hair.

The Strengthening Conditioner £6.99 250ml contains similar ingredients as well as Sweet Almond Oil, which is not only nourishing to the hair but to the scalp too. It also helps with breakages and regular use prevents split ends.

Finally I tested the To The Rescue Intense Moisture Treatment £8.99 300ml. As you can see from the photo it's a buttery, creamy texture that smells utterly divine. Only a small amount was needed massaged into my mid to end length of hair. I usually struggle to comb my hair through even after conditioner, but this instantly separated the strands. It can be left on for up to 20 minutes for a deeper conditioner however, I needed only a couple of minutes so ideal if you're short on time. 

It contains several hydrating ingredients including:-

• Shea Butter - nourishing, hydrating and smoothing.
• Coconut Oil - replenishing and repairing the most damaged hair strands, and can also help prevent dandruff.
• Meadowfoam Seed Oil - helps hair retain moisture.
• Argania Spinosa Kernal Oil - commonly known as argan oil, an amazing ingredient proven to nourish, strengthen and promote hair growth.
• Avena Strigosa Seed Extract - Black oats, full of amino acids that help strengthen the hair and are an excellent anti-inflammatory so help with scalp psoriasis.

I was super impressed by the quality of ingredients, especially at the price the products retail at. They all smell utterly divine, lightly fragranced and very 'swishy hair' fresh. Definitely check out their website as they have a whole range of products to suit every hair type, colour etc. I was also sent the Colour Protecting Shampoo and Conditioner, which is ideal to maintain colour and prevent fading. I'm not their only fan, as you will see from their website reviews - To The Rescue has over 1000 positive 5 star reviews! The website also has some very handy tips on how to treat your hair. Check them out at  www.lovenoughty.co.uk

NAKIN Natural Anti-Aging Skincare Sample Review

 

I was going to wait until January before I started on skin care reviews, simply as that is the time I think most of us start seeing the signs of stress showing up in our skin. Christmas parties, indulging in alcohol, less sunlight and of course, the after effects of late nights etc. Also, whilst I have avoided mentioning it in my features (as we seem to be bombarded continuously in the news), there are the effects that illness can have on our skin, in particular bad colds/flu and of course Covid. Now, is the time to start strengthening your skin for what winter may or may not bring, but guaranteed is central heating and all the environmental factors that cause dehydration. If ever there is a time to ramp up the skincare and provide your foundation then I would advise doing it now.

I thought I'd start by reviewing NAKIN, an award winning brand that promotes the use of all natural ingredients and is made here in the UK. If you suffer from sensitive skin then this is the brand for you. Each product is based around using top of the range plant ingredients, and you will not find any chemical, harsh, synthetic ingredients in any of the products. Their ethos is built around treating the skin with ingredients that will not irritate, but give the same results as those harsher chemicals often found in other brands. It goes without saying that most of the products are vegan (except the lip conditioner see below) and cruelty free.

Revitalising Face Oil £22 50ml

Just a couple of drops of this facial oil warmed in the palms of your hands, and then pressed into the face is enough to rejuvenate the skin. The product itself has won countless awards from top beauty journalists and has a huge 5 star fan base (just read the reviews)! So what makes this oil stand out and fight against inflammation, dullness and sensitivity:-

• Sweet Almond Oil - contains vitamin E to protect against UV damage, and fatty acids to nourish the skin. 
• Grape Seed Oil - excellent for dehydrated and dull skin types. Contains linoleic acid and vitamin E to help skin retain moisture. 
• Adansonia Digitata Seed Oil - one of the best oils to help skin regeneration as contains, amongst other vitamins, vitamin A.
• Argan Oil - has anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties, protects against pollutants.
• Jojoba oil - excellent for healing, burns, acne and is anti-bacterial and doesn't block pores.

Performance Face Serum £25 50ml

I love a good serum, this one is incredibly light weight and again just a couple of drops is all you need for thirsty skin to drink this in. It's a calming serum so ideal for all skin types, especially those who suffer with hormonal imbalanced skin, flare ups, acne, redness or itchy tight skin. Ingredients include:-

• Shea Butter - moisturising and hydrating, instantly makes skin feel supple.
• Hibiscus Extract - a natural source of alpha hydroxy acids, helps renew the skin and slough away dead skin cells, to reveal a brighter complexion.
• Pomegranate Extract - contains a high amount of vitamin c and is anti-bacterial so ideal for acne.
• Green Tea Leaf Extract - anti-inflammatory, helps calm the skin down and is brilliant for anyone who suffers with eczema. It has also been known to help protect against skin cancer as contains polyphenols. 
• Rosemary Leaf Extract - anti-inflammatory and helps reduce puffiness. Stimulates cell growth and helps reduce fine lines and wrinkles.
• Seaweed Extract - rebalances the skin and helps to reduce sensitivity.

Lip Treatment Balm £10 15ml

A beautiful balm that's easy to pop into your handbag and a must to keep lips hydrated and chapped free. It's deeply conditioning and a must have to help prevent those fine lines that appear around lips as we age. It's also ideal as a base before applying lipstick or to transform any matte lip shade or pencil into a gloss. Any excess I wiped across my dry, ridged nail beds to provide a little tlc. Please note that this product due to beeswax is not classed as vegan.  Nourishing ingredients include:-

• Castor Seed Oil - nourishing to the lips, and leaves them feeling soft not greasy.
• Olive Oil - prevents chapped lips, an excellent conditioner.
• Vitamin E Oil - can help prevent irritation and promotes cell renewal, so ideal if lips are flaky.
• Marigold Extract - protects against pollution and helps repair sore lips

I was super impressed with this range and am tempted to try out more of their products, especially their cleansers. You can view all the fantastic reviews and see how many awards they've won on their website at www.nakinskincare.com

Charles Worthington London Shine Plex Vitamin C Serum Sample Review RRP £7.99

 

There are so many different serums on the market for hair, each promising shine and multi-dimensional shimmers etc, but often they can weigh hair down. I've been testing a few and this is by far one of the best if you suffer from dull, lacklustre fine hair. You only need a small amount of this Vitamin C Serum to give highlights that extra boost and draw out the shine in lowlights.

As you can see from the photo, this serum is shot through with shimmering gold particles that give a luminous shine to hair. Only a tiny amount is needed to put through either damp hair or dry (note in the photo I used it dry), for hair to glisten without looking at all greasy.  My hair is dry, dehydrated and over bleached, it's also very fine. Often I need the moisture and as mentioned above many serums can make it look lank. This one didn't and gave it that healthy glow which is often unobtainable with porous hair. 

Its difficult to show in the photo and I did have a light on however, you can see that it eliminated frizz and my hair still has that 'body' to it. The serum is vegan friendly and the carton is recyclable. Ideal for party season and as it can be applied dry, it's ideal to put in your handbag should you get caught out in the rain or catch sight of a bad hair moment!

Available from most major chemists including www.boots.com

Compagnie De Provence Sample Reviews

 

There is something rather wonderful about this brand, whereby even just the packaging conjures the image of 'a home worthy of a front page glossy mag'. It could be the obvious, that French do ooze class and sophistication, or maybe that the simplistic, muted package gives an air of 'Farrow and Ball' but in the skincare realm. Whatever, it looks classy in a bathroom, and are the kind of products that visitors will mention when they come out of the downstairs toilet! 

Compagnie De Provence is a company whereby ingredients are sourced in the region Provence. However, what stands them apart is that their products are made with 95% naturally derived ingredients. They also refuse to use any 'nasties' chemicals etc in their products and so are 100% free of all mineral oils (known to clog pores) and sodium laureth sulphate (foaming agents that long term strip the skin of moisture). Many of the products are made using a process called 'saponification', which is where plant/vegetable oils are mixed with an alkali and the result is soap/glycerin. The process is made in the traditional way of using a cauldron! So not only do the products look great but are made in a sustainable way. Now are they any good?

Compagnie de Provence Olive Marseille Soap Cube £6 

The soap is a whopping, chunky block of 400g containing just a few ingredients. I looked at the Marseille Olive Soap, and it contains natural glycerine and sodium salts derived from the fatty acids of coconut and olive oils, and it's also palm oil free. Not only can this nourishing and enriching soap be used as a hand soap, it can be used all over the body, to wash clothes and to even clean tiles! It's a multi-purpose soap that is a house-hold must!

Savon Liquide Marseille Extra Pur Lavande Aromatique £18/500ml

This beautifully, presented liquid soap in a glass bottle, is made with botanical oils and produces a very light lather, non-drying and kind to dry skin. It's enriched with sweet almond oil, that is nourishing and gentle on the skin, whilst the delicate scent of lavender is relaxing and calming, making showering less of a chore and more of an instant 'shoulder drop' experience. As the smell of lavender fills the bathroom you'll instantly find tension just disappears. It's a must for anyone who has busy jobs, is stressed or just needs to time to indulge in some stress free time.

Finally I looked at the Creme Mains Hydrante Extra Pur Bois D'Olivier Moisturising Hand Cream £16. It's scented with olive wood, so ideal for both men and women as has an earthy, wood fragrance that is fresh (camphor) and unisex, and not too dissimilar to one of my Tom Ford fragrances. You only need a small amount to nourish and protect dry hands and nails, and so the 100ml tube will last ages. It contains an abundance of ingredients to moisturise hands such as camellia seed oil, sweet almond oil, honey, shea butter and skin soothing ingredients such as aloe leaf juice. 

It's a great range, there is something for everyone but it just has that little extra class, a touch above the rest and that's why the products also make perfect Christmas gifts. The range is available online to purchase at www.seymourshome.com