REVIEW: RoC Retin-Ox+ Intensive Eye Anti Wrinkle Care

PROBLEM: Having not used an eye cream for at least 3 months and having many late nights, a wishy washy diet and a good amount of stress, I felt my eyes needed some attention. There was no firmness, wrinkles (small and large!) and dark rings under my eyes and in the inner corners.

I bought this Anti Wrinkle Eye Care serum very cheaply (eBay: £1.42 + 99p P&P) online, a couple of weeks ago and have patted it into the whole eye area almost every night and morning since.
From about day 3 I felt that my whole eye area had firmed up and now I no longer have smaller wrinkle and the whole area feels smooth and tauter. It has done nothing for the darkness under my eyes but I always use concealer and I feel that applying makeup onto the now smooth eye area has made a big difference.

The cream is silky smooth to touch and you need very, very little for both eyes so it will last for a very long time. I apply it at least half an hour before bed and about half an hour in the morning before makeup because it takes a little while to absorb.

I am happy to continue using this product and would give it a high rating. I am, however, looking forward to finding the "miracle eye cream" out there that will tighten, smooth wrinkles and lighten up my bags.

If anyone has any suggestions please leave a comment.

Thanks!

REVIEW: Billington's Natural Molasses Sugar

Once in a while I come across and item that I wish I could tell the world about and, guess what?, this is the perfect place to do this. So, in future, anytime I feel the need to give my opinion on something you will find it here.


My first REVIEW is for .... sugar. Yes, sugar. 


This rich dark brown sugar is soft, moist and finely grained and it smells so good. Excellent in chocolate recipes, I have just made Orangey Spiced Gingerbread with it and I wouldn't, couldn't use anything else.
Try it out!

www.billingtons.co.uk

Unrefined Cane Sugar
The ultimate dark brown soft sugar

Molasses if the ultimate soft brown sugar, packed full of natural cane molasses and has the deepest colour and richest flavour of all sugars. Perfect for Christmas and dark chocolate cakes, mincemeat and is excellent in ethnic cooking, marinades and barbecue dishes.

Not all brown sugars are the same: many are only brown on the outside; underneath they are really refined white sugar which has been coated to add colour and some flavour.
Billington’s sugars are different. They are unrefined so the sugars are very simply produced with the aim of locking in, rather than refining out the natural molasses of the sugar cane. It is this difference that gives unrefined sugar its superior flavour and natural colour.

Product of Mauritius Storage Note: Billington's Sugars are all-natural products from the tropical island of Mauritius. If they become hard (mainly caused by cold, dry weather) pour sugar into a medium bowl and cover with a damp tea towel. Leave overnight and the sugars will reabsorbed the moisture. Next morning the sugars will be soft, moist and ready to use in your favorite recipes. Do not refrigerate Billington's Sugars.

Plants @ Mum's House

Aloe

Common Name: Aloe

Genus: Aloe

Species: vera

Skill Level: Beginner

Exposure: Full sun

Hardiness: Tender

Soil type: Well-drained/light

Height: 60cm

Time to divide plants: June to August 

This easy-to-grow succulent forms dense clumps of
fleshy,light green leaves with soft toothed margins.
Spikes of tubularyellow to orange flowers appear in
summer, but rarely in the UK. It is best grown as a
houseplant in the UK. Grow in a mixture of
loam-based John Innes No 2 compost with additional
sand or perlite for increased drainage. Apply a balanced
liquid feed during the growing season and reduce
watering in the winter. It should be kept at a
temperature no lower than 10 degrees C. It has been
given an Award of Garden Merit (AGM), which is for
plants of outstanding excellence.

Looks good with:

Ceropegia linearis subsp woodii
Aloe variegata

Christmas cactus

Common Name: Christmas cactus

Genus: Schlumbergera

Species: x buckleyi

Skill Level: Beginner

Exposure: Full sun, Partial shade

Hardiness: Tender

Soil type: Well-drained/light, Dry, Sandy

Height: 30cm

Spread: 30cm

In their natural habit of the tropical rainforest
of south east Brazil schlumbergera form large
plants that grow on the forest floor. They are
grown for their bright tubluar flowers, often
appearing around Christmas, at the ends of
flatten stems. They make excellent indoor plants
and look very effective in hanging baskets. Place
in a cool room and flowers will last six weeks.
Plants can be propagated by leaf cuttings taken
in spring or early summer. S. buckleyi has
arching, bright green stems made up of segments.
The flowers appear in winter and are deep pink,
red or white. Grow in cactus compost in bright
but indirect sunlight. Apply a high potash fertiliser,
such as tomato feed, every month during the
growing season and reduce watering after flowering
has finished.

Golden barrel cactus

Common Name: Golden barrel cactus

Genus: Echinocactus

Species: grusonii

Skill Level: Experienced

Exposure: Full sun

Hardiness: Half Hardy

Soil type: Well-drained/light

Height: 60cm

Spread: 80cm

Time to plant seeds: March to May 

The golden barrel cactus is armed with golden
yellow spines. Spines grow from areoles,
modified leaf stalks, and are arranged in rows
up and down the plant. It quickly grows to about
10cm (4in) in the first few years, then taking
many years for it to double its size. In its native
Mexico, plants can eventually grow to around
90cm (3ft) wide, but cultivated usually only grow
to around 30cm (12in). Feed plants once a month,
during the growing season, with a high potash
fertiliser. During winter, do not water the plants
but just keep them moist otherwise they will rot.

Weeping fig

Common Name: Weeping fig

Genus: Ficus

Species: benjamina

Skill Level: Experienced

Exposure: Partial shade

Hardiness: Half Hardy

Soil type: Well-drained/light

Height: 200cm

Spread: 150cm

This is one of the most elegant indoor plants
with its graceful weeping branches bearing
glossy dark green leaves. Grow in a loam-based
compost in full light, but not direct sun. From
spring to summer feed every two weeks with a
balanced liquid fertiliser and then sparingly in
winter. It has been given an Award of Garden
Merit (AGM), which is for plants of outstanding
excellence.

NHM: Fairytale Wolf

Natural History Museum Annual Photography Exhibition

In 2005 I was in the NHM and they were 
charging crazy entry prices so 
I didn't get to see the amazing photography. 

It's good to know you can see a range online now. 

This one flabbergasted me particularly.

Exercise Reduces Sick Time Better Than Drugs

 

By: Jen Mueller

As cold and flu season quickly approaches (or has already arrived if you live in my house), questions arise about exercise and illness. Is it okay to exercise if I have a cold?How soon after an illness can I return to regular activity? A lot of us are going to get sick this year, so it's good to know what to do if it happens to you. But what about preventing illness in the first place? We take our vitamins and eat our fruits and vegetables, but can exercise help protect you from getting a cold? Research says "yes."

According to an expert from the American College of Sports Medicine,"multiple studies have shown a 25% to 50% decrease in sick time for active people who complete at least 45 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise (such as walking) most days of the week." The protection that regular exercise offers is far greater than the protection drugs can provide, according to the article. So instead of taking a pill, take a walk to help ward off a cold!

Despite your best efforts, you might still end up getting the sniffles this winter. So what are some guidelines to follow when it comes to exercise?

• If you've got a cold that's above the neck (runny or stuffy nose, sore throat, etc.) then you should be okay to exercise if you're feeling up to it.
  
• If you have a cold that's below the neck (in your chest), or if you have other symptoms like a fever or swollen glands, it's better to rest.
  
• Listen to your body. If you're not feeling good and you push it too much, the illness can end up hanging around longer.
  
• Once you're well again, ease back into exercise. You might find it takes a week or two (or maybe even longer, depending on how sick you were) to get back up to your pre-illness level.

Do you notice you get fewer colds now than you did before you became active? Has being fit helped you fight off illness?

Eight Health Benefits of Stinging Nettle from HealthMad.com

This morning after snipping up my experimental bunch of 2 ft long dried nettles I had collected in the summer, I made my first dose of tea. As it was boiling I was wondering to myself if I was doing myself more harm than good and I'm glad to say it's all good! Have a look at what I found: 



Eight Health Benefits of Stinging Nettle | HealthMad


Stinging nettle, or commonly know with it’s botanical name Urtica Dioica, is a plant growing in the tropical areas around the world. The homeland of nettle is Brazil and other South American countries. It is also abundant in Northern Europe and Asia. Nettle has a well-known reputation for giving a sting when the skin touches the hairs and bristles on the leaves and stems. It grows 2 to 4 meters.It has white,green and yellow leaves. When someone feels being stung by nettle, this is actually because of the irritants in the nettle. Some of those irritants are formic acid,histamine and acetylcholine. After this little introduction about stinging nettle, let’s talk about our main topic, that is, the health benefits of it.

Here is some of the well-known curative properties of nettle.

1. It is used as diuretic
2. It is used to treat anemia since nettle leaves contain high amount of iron content. It also helps to formation and coagulation of blood cells.
3. It is used in the treatment of arthrites and rheumatism
4. It protects respiratory and urinary problems
5. It decreases the risk of eczema and other skin disorders. Additionally, it is used in asthma treatment.
6. It is used in the treatment of benign prostate
7. It is used in the treatment of sinusitis and rhinitis
8. It protects hair loss (Alopecia)

Also this:

The benefits of nettle leaves.

THE NETTLE, a stinging plant grows wild in the jungles and forests of Papua New Guinea. Many villagers in the rural communities use it as a remedy for pain relief, muscle aches and back problems.

They use the plant’s leaves with its tiny needle-like spikes to rub it on the part of the body that aches and the aches just simply vanish within minutes.

I have used it often but I boil the leaves in hot water until it darkens than I remove the leaves and drink it as herbal tea.I now affectionately call it ‘nettle tea’. I often drink two cups in the morning as an energiser. My experience with nettle has shown me that it also has other benefits as well.

It makes the skin, particularly the face glow. It also helps in hair growth and cleanses the blood from possible clotting.

My friends wife lives in a rural village recently gave birth with the assistance of midwives. She drank nettle tea every morning to stop the heavy bleeding that resulted from the childbirth.

I drink it every morning to boost my energy levels but the benefits are unlimited.

You can use stinging nettle as a soup base and add shitake mushrooms, or seaweed. Or make it into a tea  (which is what I did). The base of tall plants isn't very good to eat anymore so chop it up and leave it in a bucket with water until fermented and use as an excellent compost for the garden.

Thanks Baz

Enjoy your body, 

use it every way you can…don’t be afraid of it, or what other people 

think of it, it’s the greatest instrument you’ll ever 

own.. Dance…even if you have nowhere to do it but in your own living room.

Sometimes it's hard

THanks to Joie de Vivre

Thursdays 3 Thankful Things

THANKFUL FOR: such a considerate man who still thinks I am a princess. Every payday, without fail, Batman brings me flowers. This time it was hot pink gerbera daisies.


THANKFUL FOR: where I live. This is the best kept secret of Edinburgh. This beautiful building was picturesque before we moved in and now that they've nearly finished the restoration work, it's glorious.

THANKFUL FOR: potatoes! Over the last two weeks I have deducted that I have an intolerance to something I am consuming everyday so, after some reliable internet research, I have cut out wheat and dairy. This was interesting for the first few days as I lost pound after pound because I didn't know what I could eat. Now, I enjoy potatoes. Almost daily. Boiled, chipped, wedges, rosti, bratkartoffel.... the world is your oyster.

I am a FAN of #5: Liv Tyler

Particularly in this picture. Love the glamour of the gown. The glitz. The 40's 50's makeup. The soft curled hair. What a way to pull it off.

pic courtesy of stylefrizz

I am a FAN of #4: Norman Rockwell - Rosie the Riveter, 1943

I have always been a Norman Rockwell fan.

There is much to be said about his political art and much has been said. I don't want to say much so that you can just enjoy it. I will say this: Kate Moss eat your heart out. You could NEVER pick up a riveter, let alone, know what to do with it.

Love the strength on her face; the fact that she's eating a hearty sandwich and not a souffle and look at the muscles in her arms. Love it.

Endless Road

I am a FAN of #3: Maps - I Can Go Anywhere, Just Give Me a Map

If you give my Dad a map, compass and a knife he could probably survive out in the boonies for the rest of his days ( he's gonna live to 150). His knack for reading maps was passed on to me from early on and I still LOVE unfolding a map and finding where I am or where I've been and where I would like to explore.

I am looking for a huge Europe map and a huge United States map so that I can put pins in to all the places I've been to. The memories of our trip across the U.S., when I was teenager, still make me want to be on the endless roads in the wide open spaces of the midwest. Love it.

Room makeover and pic by Centsational Girl

I am a FAN of #2: Flirty Metalwork

Ribbon is so girly. This speaks to my love of worked steel or wrought iron. I would be tempted to spray paint it a hot pink or vintage turquoise after a decade or so, for a change. To be found here at Apartment Therapy

I am a FAN of #1: JASON NEUFELD

Please can my flat look like this? Jason Neufeld seems to be inspired to design by nature and I love that. He has ingenious ideas like the floor to ceiling lamp and floating slices of tree shelves. Have a look for yourself. His pattern pages just make me want to go out and buy some paint.

Peppermint Tea

I posted recently about the delights of Faith's garden. Apart from the fact that it is constantly in bloom at this time of the year, there's also fresh salad and a large bush of peppermint which we haphazardly "planted" there last year. I pinched 30 large leaves from it last Sunday and took them home to make tea. It's easy and this is how it goes...

1. Take a handful of large leaves from your mint plant ( about 30 leaves)
2. Wash them thoroughly in cold water.
3. Allow to dry in a container with airholes for a few days- I use a recycled fruit container from the supermarket
4. Shake them up on a daily basis to prevent mold and allow air to crisp them up
5. When they are crackly to the touch you can add 10 leaves to a pan/pot of 2 litres of boiling water and allow to steep for 5 minutes.

I like mine just the way it is with no added sweetness but you could add honey or sugar if you feel you need it. I leave my leaves in the water all day. I have a couple of cups of hot and warm tea in the morning and then drink cold tea in the afternoon and with dinner.

Ripe Pears

ALDI opened, within Edinburgh, in June and every month they have 6 different vegetables or fruit for 49p so we have mountains of it! I made endless juices from this new book and had fresh fruit all week. Needless to say, we had some that was getting past the ideal crispy, freshness but I couldn't let them go to waste. Here's what I did with the delicious, juicy pears.

1. Prepare your favourite tart base.

Mine:
1 cup of wholewheat flour
1/2 cup bleached flour
1 cup of blended oats (stick them in the blender and pulse for a few seconds)
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp of brown sugar
125g cold butter
4 tbsp milk, if that, to make it stickyish.

Method: Add all dry ingredients into your mixing bowl and combine, slowly for a minute. Cut up the butter and add it to the mix. Combine slowly so you don't get flour all over the place. Add the milk until it becomes just a little it sticky. Don't bother cooling it just push into an 8" tart base with your fingers and prick all over with a fork.
Bake @ 170C for about 25-30 minutes


Peel, halve and core about 6 pears and add them to a pan with a cup of water and 1/3 cup of brown sugar. Feel free to add any other niceties like cinnamon at this time. Slowly bring to a simmer and leave for about 15 minutes.

You don't want to over do it at all. My pears were really ripe so I only added 1 tbsp of brown sugar. The liquid should be brown and syrupy when it's done


Love the warm golden colour of this tart base when it comes out of the oven!

Make a professional vanilla sauce from scratch...he he... I used Bird's Eye....


Bake for another 20 minutes @ 170C and serve almost immediately with a dollop of your mother-in-law's homemade vanilla ice cream. Yum!

You don't just burn wood to make a fire - the almost lost art of PYROGRAPHY

Batman revamped this bench for his mum while she was away on holiday. It turned out to be a very sturdy masterpiece. I added the saying on the top slat. Pyrography is something I have dabbled in over the past couple of years and should really do a lot more of. Besides soothing my soul by being creative, the smell of burning wood, as you etch, reminds me of home and keeps my gypsy feet grounded.

....and some enviously talented work by the man at wood tattoo have a look at his site. Something to work towards!

Pink Princess Cookies

Aren't these adorable? Find the to order here.

For Mum

Sweetpeas from Faith's Garden

Sweetpeas are about to go crazy in the garden and I have some of the first cuttings. These are the first flowers Keir gave me and I still love the sweet fragrance they give.

Polish Food Anyone? Pani Solinska Review

Polish food is not something I've ever considered eating for no particular reason so when Jasmine decided we were getting lunch at her local Polish eatery, Pani Solinska, I was intrigued. The interior was bright and colourful with a swedish country feel. The black and white pictures on the wall are from originals of the family in the I and II World War which bring a familiar feeling of personality to the place. The gorgeous little flower vase filled with random flowers on top of a doily which was great touch!

The food was amazing! We had a breadcrumbed, grilled, folded pancake filled with mushroom and pickled cabbage which came with a huge plate of salads - potato, pickled cabbage & carrot and shredded beetroot, pickles and green salad leaves and tomatoes. I was already full.

We had decided to try each others main course. I ordered sausage and mash and Ja had the breadcrumbed steak with fried potato and salad. The mash was like nothing I had tried before - it was delicious! i want the recipe. The sausages weren't my favourite and came with a lot of grease but the fried onions were a perfect accompaniment to it all. Ja's breadcrumbed steak, like a schnitzel, was meaty and crumby and gooood and made me want to hop on a plane for Germany. The fried potato slices were good too.

I ordered a peach and apple juice which was novel and unbelievably tasty. I've seen it in supermarkets so, I'll be picking some of that up next time.

All in all a really pleasant atmosphere. The two girls who served us were friendly, prompt and scarce when necessary. The decor was to my taste to a T. I love bright colours, flowers and big photos of family. I would definately go again and I can now say I am a huge fan of Polish grub. Pani Solinska is higly recommended for good grub and hangover soaker-upper.

Ja hungover and looking GRRRREAT! Love you!

Fashion Faux Pas or Unbelievably Cool?

Fashion stylist in profession and Diva by nature, my sister-in-law is always sporting the latest, most stunning outfits and yet we're unsure of these ECCO shoes... what do you think?

What the ECCO people say:

Five good reasons for choosing ECCO Shoes

• The foot: The ECCO philosophy is a simple one, our shoes follow the foot, not the other way round.
• The best materials: When it comes to materials nothing is left to chance. We insist on producing our own leather. We choose to own and operate our own tanneries.
• Technologies and craftsmanship: We know exactly when to rely on technology, but also know that sometimes there is no substitute for handmade craftsmanship.
• Design: Comfortable on your feet, irresistible on the eye – the combination of how a pair looks and feels on your feet is the most compelling advantage we have.
• Quality and ethics: Being the only major shoe company to own the entire supply chain from cow to consumer, we are able to ensure quality and ethics every step of the way

I am a "comfy shoes all the way" girl, so seeing these in the gladiator style, which is all the rage right now, made me want to go out and buy them straight away. The only reason I have kept away from the ECCO shop in Rose St. is because, after a very short scout around the shop once, I was sure all of their shoes were for ladies of a certain era - the sensible era - which put me off them straight away. There have got to be cool shoes out there that follow the foot too, right?

My question - please vote in the column at the side - are these cool or not?

Salad & Herbs in Faith's Garden

Faith's salad box. Lots of kinds of salad in a small greenhouse type box so that they can get sun all the time but which can be shut to keep out the slugs! yuk. Great idea!
SPEARMINT TEA: This is spearmint which we pushed (with all the grace I just described...) into the ground last year without a second thought and this year it's about a foot high and it smell is amazing! We used it, snipped up, on new potatoes with a little olive oil for Sunday tea. I like spearmint for adding to foods as I find mint has a very strong flavour.

It makes great tea too. Just take a stalk or a small handful of leaves, wash them with cold water and hang the stalk up or let the leaves dry in an aerated container until crisp ( I use a plastic fruit container with the draining holes in the bottom). When you're ready to make tea, add a generous pinch or a few leaves to 1/2 a litre of hot water and let stew for about 4-5 minutes. Delicious!

Faith's Garden

Faith's garden is always in bloom this time of the year. The bench, above, is a masterpiece Batman renewed just last month. The old one was VERY vintage and was falling apart so Batman purchased a long length of wood and cut, sanded and drilled until he was happy with the result. I inscribed, with my pyrography kit, the saying "A Thing of Beauty is a Joy Forever" for Faith.