The Sunday Review - Alva Sanddorn Cleanser & Toner

At my stage in life, I look to anti-ageing products for prevention, rather than cure, of the signs of age. I've little experience with anti-ageing products but now is the time to learn! Over the past month I have been using the Alva Sanddorn range of anti-ageing natural beauty products and I've enjoyed it.

I was going to write you a review all about how I was having trouble identifying the scent of the Alva Sanddorn anti-ageing products but I've just looked it up - it's Sea Buckthorn! Sea Buckthorn plants produce small orange berries that are citrussy in flavour, I tried some sweets flavoured with them earlier this year (eeeeew euuurch). Who would have thought that they would also be great as a skincare ingredient? Sea Buckthorn is high in provitamin A, vitamin E and fatty acids - prefect!

The scent is fascinating. Every time I use the Alva Sanddorn Cleansing Milk, I pour the pale orange liquid onto a cotton pad and for a few brief seconds I enjoy that almost-peachy smell but then it warps... and turns into a musty, unpleasant aroma so I hurry up and get on with the cleansing process.



The Alva Sanddorn cleansing milk is a very light lotion that feels great on the skin. I find it refreshing, even before I wash it off. It seems (from the amount of gunk of the cotton pad afterwards) very effective at cleansing and I do find it quite moisturising. I know that if I forget to moisturise before I leave the house in the morning then my skin will feel fine without.

The algae extracts, organic jojoba oil and shea butter all add to the moisturising qualities and the Sea Buckthorn protects against UV rays. Alva Sanddorn products are all pthalate, paraben and sulfate-free.



The cleanser is good but the toner is great. The Alva Sanddorn Facial Tonic comes in a small glass bottle. It is alcohol free, so great for my slightly sensitive skin and after use, I can feel my face is clean and clear, my pores are open and my skin is ready for action. The smell is a lot less overpowering than the cleanser. I really enjoy using this tonic as it makes my face feel bright and tight. As with the other Sanddorn products, it delivers great moisturising properties too.

Alva Sanddorn products are available to buy from mypure who have a wonderful range of organic and natural beauty products.

Images courtesy of mypure.co.uk

The Sunday Review - Senzimi Skincare

I am really enjoying my journey of discovery of sensitive skin care products - I had no idea that there was so much choice available when I first developed sensitive skin this time last year. I've recently been trying out Senzimi products.

Senzimi have lots of great information on their website about the causes of sensitive skin and the things you should look out for on ingredients labels if you are a sufferer. Their products are paraben free, sulfate free and mineral-oil free (which is one of the things that causes my skin irritation).

The Daily Cleanser is a wash-off cleanser which means it leaves you skin feeling really squeaky clean. Because it is free from synthetic fragrances, I found that it lacked that bit of zing that I look for in a wash -off cleanser to help me wake up in the morning. I didn't feel any greasiness after using it but then again, my skin didn't feel amazing and I know that there are wash-off cleansers out there that can really make your face feel taught, bright and ready for the day.

The Daily Moisturiser is very easily absorbed (despite looking a little oily on my fingertips). It is designed to help soothe irritated skin and reduce the effects of UV damage so it is a great long-term moisturiser. I didn't notice any dramatic differences to the way my skin felt after using it but I certainly didn't feel any ill effects, any irritation or redness. I actually have grown to really like this as a daily moisturiser for wearing from the start of my day all through my working day as its light and doesn't sit heavily on my skin. The fragrance is a little over-powering though.

The Daily Moisturiser boasts some wonderful ingredients such as the miracle-working argan oil, rose hip oil, oat extract, cucumber extract, aloe vera and olive-oil derivatives. All lovely ingredients that I shall leave to do their work on me!

Senzimi products are available to buy on their website www.senzimi-skincare.com.

Images courtesy of New Chapter

5 of the Best - Winter Buggy Cosies and Cosy Toes

Following on from my popular review of summer buggy shades, I thought it would be appropriate right now to review some winter buggy inserts and cosy toes.

These days, many pushchairs and travel systems don't come with cosy toes included. When it comes to buying one, remember you don't HAVE to buy the same brand as your buggy, there are lots of choices out there which are universal buggy inserts. The branded cosytoe on my Mothercare MyChoice almost brings me to tears every time I have to try and put it on so I have been on the lookout for a replacement. Here are my experiences

Wallaboo Footmuff
The Good Bits: It is made from soft microfibre suede on the outside and is snuggly on the inside. Every time we go out in it, people stop us to comment on how great and warm it looks. Its thick and can cope with very cold weather.
The Bad Bits: It is a bit too short for my toddler's legs - perhaps more suited to a smaller baby. It is also so special-looking that I find myself worrying about getting it dirty. I have to take the top part of the Wallaboo off when I fold up my umbrella buggy as it it so big and snuggly that it prevents it from folding properly otherwise.
Price: £69.95
Buy From: Hippychick
Rating: 7/10

Jojo Maman Bebe Polarfleece Buggy Cosy
The Good Bits: It is quite easy to fit to pretty much ANY buggy and of all the cosytoes that I tried, I found it the easiest to zip up around Lara. It was lovely and long and spacious which added to the ease of getting Lara into it.
The Bad Bits: Because of the wonderful length it did get quite dirty at the base (but it was easy to wash). It got wet pretty quickly in the rain.
Price: £24.00
Buy From: Jojo Maman Bebe
Rating: 8/10

Jojo Maman Bebe Reversible Waterproof Fleece Buggy Cosy
The Good Bits: Very much like the Polarfleece Buggy Cosy but with one side of the fabric as a water resistant, wind resistant fabric. We prefered it because it kept dry for longer in the rain (long enough for me to find the raincover or leg it back to the car). It has great length even for Lara's long legs.
The Bad Bits: I found that when the water-resistent fabric was on the outside that the buggy cosy slumped in the buggy when we used it, less so on the fleece side - maybe I just needed to tie it up tighter to the frame of the buggy? It meant we sometimes had to hoike it up when Lara was still sitting inside it! It is still my favourite of the lot though in terms of its wide range of uses and value for money.
Price: £34
Buy From: Jojo Maman Bebe
Rating: 9/10

Morrck Baby Hoodie
The Good Bits: Although it isn't strictly a cosytoe, the Morrck baby hoodie does make a great buggy (or car seat) insert for smaller babies. We liked the soft scrumptious hood and the fact that it easily flaps open and closed and you can wrap your little one up as tight and snug as you fancy!
The Bad Bits: For older children with wiggly legs and flailing arms (like Lara) the wrap doesn't stay wrapped for long.
Price: £35.99
Buy From: Morrck
Rating: 6/10

Concord Hug
The Good Bits: Officially targetted at the Concord Neo buggy, this is an incredibly snuggly 'sleeping bag' that reminds me of the wind-proof sleeping bag my Dad used in the army! It is fleecy on the inside and water/wind resistant on the outside. The Concord sleeping bag is incredibly thick and by using the draw-strings you can really tighten it up around your child like a wintery cocoon! I am pretty certain that it is the warmest of all the cosytoes we tried. My favourite part is that you don't need to undo the buggy straps to get the sleeping bag in and out so it is INCREDIBLY easy to fit.
The Bad Bits: In slightly warmer environments you can unzip from the front (which is far easier than most which are at the side/bottom) BUT the fabric is very thick and rigid and means the sides flap about a bit.
Price: £50 approx.
Buy From: Kiddies Kingdom or Mothercare
Rating: 8/10