A helping hand from ECover

Today, Thursday 15th October is World Hand Washing Day and the lovely people at Ecover sent me a really lovely package in conjunction with this day, so look out for the hashtag #BeautifulHands. The idea behind the campaign is to motivate and mobilise people around the world to improve their handwashing habits by washing their hands with soap at critical moments throughout each day. The campaign is dedicated to raising awareness of handwashing with soap as a key approach to disease prevention.

Now the cold weather has set in, Ecover think we should take a closer look at our hands.  Dry and sore skin is something many people encounter in the colder months and in order to do their bit, Ecover use plant and mineral based ingredients within their products to ensure they are kinder to your skin than other much more chemical-heavy cleaning products.

Ecover kindly sent me some Multi Action Wipes in Pomegranate and Lime scent.  I use a lot of wipes at home alongside my anti-bacterial sprays to cover all eventualities and for ease of use when it comes to cleaning.  These wipes have no chemical scent too them whatsoever, but clean my surfaces and tiles as good as any other wipe.

The Zero Washing up Liquid and it has no scent at all.  You only need one squeeze to wash a sink full of dishes and whilst it does a thorough job, it doesn't generate excess bubbles like other brands.

Finally there is the Multi Action Spray and this is by far the best product of the three because you can use it everywhere!  I have cleaned my worktops, my sink, my floors and even my mirror and most impressive of all it leaves a streak free shine, so there is no need to get my vinegar and newspaper out to finish the job.

Naturally being a beauty blogger and a wife, I need to ensure my hands are kept in tip top condition and also included within my package was Qtica Intense cuticle repair balm, Zoya nail polish in shade Amanda which is described as being a medium muted peach creme with pink, brown and mauve undertones and Liz Earle Superskin Hand Serum which is rich in GLA, omega-3 and antioxidants. Everything you need for soft, smooth, pretty moisturised hands.

Have you ever used Ecover products at home?

EcoHydra Hand Sanitiser

Did you know The average ‘clean looking’ pair of hands can hold up to a shocking 10 million germs, leaving many of us guilty of passing on the stubborn bacteria that can cause illnesses such as colds, influenza, skin infections, and food poisoning, without even realising it? - Ewwww!

With the job that I do, I tend to spend quite a lot of my time dealing with members of the public, people I don't know and have never met until they ring the office doorbell, so the constant shaking of hands, germs and bacteria is something I always worry about. I could spend half of my day constantly washing my hands in a bid to ensure they are kept clean, but overtime that plays havoc with your skin, so I started to use hand santisers as an alternative.  When I was sent a product called EcoHydra, an alcohol free hand sanitiser which claims to kill up to 99.9999% of bacteria, I was delighted to be trying it out.

For me, alcohol based hand sanitisers are a no-no, they dry my skin out and are too harsh on my skin. EcoHydra comes out of its container, which features a pump, in a foam consistancy and once rubbed into my hands, it disappears almost immediately, leaving behind no stick trace or greasy feel afterwards. There is chemical scent, infact no scent at all and my hands are left feeling nice and clean, the added inclusion of Aloe Vera is something I really like, because it is soothing on the skin and it has a lasting protection of up to 4 hours, which I find to be quite impressive.

EcoHydra state that their Free Hand Sanitiser 100 times more effective at killing bugs and germs to the high street equivalents and It has proven efficacy against E coli, Sars, Bird Flu, MRSA and NoroVirus not to mention that it has been chosen for use by NASA and is now approved by the NHS.  It is suitable for use on all skin types as well as being gentle enough for use on children.

Since using it, my hands have not become sore or irritated from over-washing and in 4 weeks of using 5 times a week, approximately 4-5 times a day, I have probably more than half of my bottle left to use. EcoHydra Hand Sanitiser comes in 50ml bottles and will retail for £2.49 at boots.

Do you use a hand sanitiser? 

Things I love having done!

Do you ever sit back, daydream, think wishfully that you could just pop into your local spa/hairdressing salon or even spend the day with your closest and mostest for some pampering?  I know I do.  I have gone from hating strangers touching me, fear of the hairdressers to absolutely loving being pampered, though please stay away from my feet, that is one phobia I cannot deal with.

This is a post about some of the things I absolutely love being done to me and why, honestly it isn't as rude as it sounds.  As a beauty blogger, you won't be surprised to find out what they are and why.

I have quite a busy and stressful job, at times all I want to do is sit back or indeed lay back and escape from that world and just do something for me, sadly I don't get too many opportunities to do those very often, but if I did, well this is what I would want.

Someone washing my hair for me

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One thing that I absolutely love having done whenever I go to the salon for a haircut/trim is having someone else wash my hair.  Not a chore in itself and it is something I actually don't mind doing, but it is just so relaxing when someone else does it for you and combined with a head massage, hair brushing and temple rubbing, I am almost snoring in minutes.

Having a facial

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I haven't had many in my life, well two actually but I do love having a facial.  Both times I have been lucky enough to have one, it has been totally amazing, relaxing and de-stressing not to mention that feeling of total cleanness afterwards is something I can never repeat at home.

Having a manicure

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This is something I have recently started to really really enjoy.  I had a bad experience of a manicure when I was at University and the manicurist at the time, instead of filing my nails, used scissors to cut them, slipped with the scissors and anyway... needless to say I have had a fear since. 

 Now having been to a few blogger events and met some absolutely lovely manicurists, this is something i had begun to enjoy and something I look forward to having done.

Hand and arm massage

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This is another treatment that I find really relaxing, though it has been a while since I have had it done.  It is incredibly relaxing to have something massage both your hands and your arms using many lotions and potions.  The last one I had was at a beauty event with Debenhams last year and the lovely ladies of Elemis were on hand to do this exact treatment and it was pure heaven.

Back and Shoulder massage

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This is possibly one of the best treatments ever, though again, a bad experience when I was at Uni for a spa day with my housemates terrified me.  The masseuse was so rough with massaging my shoulders that I screamed in pain for her to stop because it was utter agony and for weeks it hurt like anything to move.

Then a few years ago, I took the plunge having had chronic back-ache for weeks to go and have a massage and honestly it was the most amazing thing ever, so relaxing and de-stressing and something that almost had me in a deep sleep.  I find that with having a stressful job my shoulders are usually always quite tense and having them massaged literally cures everything for me.

So there you have, the top 5 things I love having done.  

Do you have a favourite treatment you like to have? is there anything you absolutely swear by?

Treasured Orchid Range - Ted Baker

When Ted Bakers new and indulgent Treasured Orchid** bath and body range dropped through my letterbox to try, I knew I wouldn't be disappointed.  Over the last few months, I have been really surprised at how good the Ted Baker Range is, whether it is a handbag perfume, nail polish or something for the man in your life, these products have been amazing quality.

The Treasured Orchid Range, is said to be inspired by Ted's latest fashion collection.  Described as being Beautifully Feminine, the print packaging which is a lovely shade of pink, is one that stands out.

The products I have been using are a hand cream, body wash and body spray which all feature the scent of rose, so if you are a fan of products with a rose scent, then these might just be for you.

The hand cream is a moisturising hand cream which is made with rose, sandalwood and raspberry, is white in colour and of a medium texture.  As soon as it comes into contact with the skin it absorbs itself instantly, leaving behind a floral yet fruity scent on your skin. It also contains Shea Butter which has natural moisturising properties.

The body wash, which is clear in colour with no tint to it again features rose, sandalwood and raspberry and the scent is similar, though not quite the same as the hand cream, it is much more of a floral scent.

The final product is the aptly described 'vivacious' body spray, in its clear plastic bottle with spritz applicator, the liquid inside looks the colour I would expect the hand cream and the shower gel to look.  once it has been spritzed, again with a combination of rose, sandalwood and raspberry and for me this is the one which has the fruitiest scent to it, the raspberry being more notable than the rose.

These products are available in Boots with prices starting at just £5.50 right up to £10 for a travel set and £15 for a gift box.  All of which make a lovely present and a great addition to your collection.

Hand Chemistry - The hand cream that promises 10 years in 10 days!

Hand Chemistry from the makers of Inhibitif is descirbed and referred to as 'The hand cream that promises 10 years in 10 days' and I have some right now which I am going to put to the test.

It is described as follows:

"Concentrated multi- functional hand cream targets 8 signs of hand aging simultaneously. The extraordinary 19.5% active complex concentration visibly improves firmness, elasticity, density, evenness, brightness, texture, smoothness and hydration"

Designed to be used and applied to clean hands both in the morning and in the evening results should be visible in as little as 11 days with continued improvement for up to 2 months. Continue use to maintain results. Intended for use on hands and forearms only.

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This hand cream arrives in a rather fetching white and pink coloured box and inside is a matching tube.  Everything you need to know about this product can be found on the box and it includes a list of ingredients and you will see that it is tested on humans.

The cream itself is not too thick a consistency and is very easily absorbed into the skin where it leaves behind a lovely citrus scent and an immediate softness of the skin on your hands which lasts until you next apply the cream.  What I like about this cream is that it is designed to be used twice a day and not constantly, so once again, for me, I tend to use it as part of my morning and evening skin regime when I am washing my face and applying moisturising cream anyway, it is no extra hassle and I am really excited to see what the results will actually be like.  Below you will find a photograph of my hands before I started to use this hand cream and in 11 days time, I will report back on my findings and show another photo to see what the difference is.

Ted Baker Stocking Fillers

I can't begin to tell you how impressed I am with the Ted Baker range* which is currently in Boots.  I have already introduced you to the 'Putting on the Glitz' gift set HERE and today I have two more products from the range.

The Ted Baker Eyelash Curler and Nail Buffer are naturally a must have for any beauty lover and infact both are staples within my own make-up bag.  Each item within the Accessory range is of a purse friendly friend and all under £10, so if you are looking for a stocking filler or three, then I would highly recommend the Ted Baker Range.

Encased inside this beautiful Pea Green Box with a cute little ribbon (hello Christmas Treet ornament) are the Eyelash Curlers which cost just £8. Inside the box the packaging gets even more beautiful with the flowery background.

As you can see the eyelash curlers, which are a sort of Rose Gold Colour, have the Ted Baker logo on them clearly for all to see and they are actually really sturdy, much better than the flimsy pair I got in a Glossybox which cost more than double the price of these should I want to purchase them.  They also do the job of curling my eyelashes really well.

Then we have the Emery board which costs around £6 and it comes in the same style packaging as the eyelash curlers.  The nail buffer has four different sides to it to really make your nails look fantastic with the option to file, smooth, buff and shine.  In keeping with the beautiful packaging the file side has the foxglove picture which you have on the inside of the box, clearly shown and it I have found it does a fantastic job at filing my nails.  The second side is the Smooth option and the purpose of smooth is to sort out any little ridges that might be present, this I learnt from having a manicure recently and then you work your way round sides 3 and 4 to buff and shine your nails.  The part I have been most impressed with is the shine side of the buffer because it really does help to bring about a shine to your nails.

If these are the type of products you really like, also within the range you will find some Tweezers, Emery Boards, Nail Scissors and Nail Clippers which comes with a case, again all reasonably priced between £5-£8 each.

As you can tell I am a huge fan of the Ted Baker gift section in Boots and love the everything about the products I have, in particular the lovely packaging which is not only eye-catching but really well designed.

What do you think to the Ted Baker products this Christmas?