Getting Into The Christmas Spirit | Alcohol Gift Guide

Posted on October 27, 2014 by Frostie

Ah, Christmas. The time for overindulgence. Too much food, booze and time spent with ~~people you have to~~ people you love dearly. No having to go to work in the morning, just bad TV and lying comatose on the coach. It truly is magical. To help the magic along we have started our Christmas Alcohol Reviews. Here are our top picks to buy the people who have been very, very good this year.

Snow Leopard Vodka

This vodka (made with spelt, the so-called ‘grandfather of grains’) was created by a passionate conservationist determined to save these critically endangered big cats. Which is why we should all buy one this Christmas.

Stephen Sparrow, an ex-drinks industry expert, heard about the snow leopard’s plight during a trip to the Himalayas. Shocked at learning there were less than 5,000 left in the wild, he came back and founded the Snow Leopard Trust UK – and then created this super-premium vodka to help fund its projects. Stephen has set a global goal to raise a million dollars annually for snow leopard conservation by 2025. That’s the the figure the President of the Snow Leopard Trust has advised could provide the ‘step change’ to remove the animal from the endangered list. This goal has been helped by the vodka recently gaining national distribution in Waitrose.com

With 15% of the vodka’s profit going direct to the Snow Leopard Trust, funds are provided to community-based conservation projects. These range from replacing farmers’ livestock that might be taken by snow leopards; through to helping educate herders’ children and training for adults in spinning wool and handicrafts for extra income. Supporting these projects helps educate the local communities and fosters a positive attitude towards the snow leopard.

£36.00 RRP for a 70cl bottle and available at Waitrose.com, Harvey Nichols and Ocado.com, as well as all good independent drinks retailers. Snowleopardtrustuk.org / snowleopardvodka.co.uk

Snow Leopard Vodka – The Conservation Martini

Glass: Martini

75ml Snow Leopard Vodka
5ml French Dry Vermouth
1 sprig of rosemary to be stirred in a mixing glass

Method: Add ingredients into an ice-filled mixing glass and briskly stir for 20 seconds.
Pour into a Martini glass.
Garnish: Rosemary sprig placed in the Martini or cocktail glass.

Whitley Neill Gin

This is top-class, truly wonderful gin. Perfect for gin lovers, winner of the World’s Best Gin Award at the International Wines and Spirits Festival, super-premium Whitley Neill Gin stands out from the crowd with its African botanicals cape gooseberry and super-fruit baobab, which has six times more vitamin C than an orange. Whitley Neill is slightly softer than more traditional gins and the taste is refreshingly citrusy and sweet. Whitley Neill Gin is available in sainsburys.co.uk priced £24.00.

Lamb’s Spiced

This is wonderful spiced rum with a lower alcohol content that other spiced rums. The sophisticated readers of Frost will know that is a good thing. New Lamb’s Spiced is a perfect gift for rum aficionados and cocktail lovers. It’s a gentle blend with a lower alcoholic content (30% abv) than other spiced rums, which makes this smooth golden liquid ideal for sipping. Natural spices and hints of cinnamon and caramel give Lamb’s Spiced a sweet, warming flavour. Lamb’s Spiced is available in Tesco.com priced £14.49 for a 70cl bottle.

Lamb’s Navy Rum

A true classic. This is high-end rum. Truly Iconic British rum, Lamb’s Navy, is the perfect tipple to have in the cupboard at Christmas – not only is it a great cake preservative and ideal ingredient for flambéing the Christmas pudding, but it’s a great winter cocktail ingredient too. Lamb’s Navy Rum is available from all major supermarkets priced around £14.50 for 70cl.

Bootlegger

This is something truly unique for whiskey lovers who want something different. It is actually unaged white whiskey. It is gorgeous, sophisticated and luxurious with just the right amount of vintage kitsch.

Bootlegger is an unaged white whiskey inspired by the raw liquor ‘Bootleggers’ moved around the US during Prohibition. It has a raw sophisticated taste with aromas of peat, oak and vanilla with a smooth finish and has been created for sipping neat over ice as well as in cocktails. Bootlegger is available from Harrods.com and other premium retailers priced around £37.50.

Tequila Rose

Our editor loves tequila, just a shame she can’t drink it at the moment because she is pregnant! We did the hard work for her: This is a unique and delicious take on tequila. Tequila Rose is a luxurious blend of premium Mexican tequila and real strawberry flavoured cream liqueur. It’s an ideal alternative to traditional cream liqueurs at Christmastime and makes a fabulous gift for female foodies and cocktail lovers. Tequila Rose is priced £14.99 for 70cl from various supermarkets.

Grant’s Signature

Grant’s whisky is always brilliant. Perfect for a wee dram. This Christmas Grant’s Whisky is putting a new twist on tradition this Christmas with the release of its Signature character and maltiness blend. With a smooth yet rich taste, with hints of caramel and biscuit which is delicious on its own, over ice or with a mixer. The product of five generations, Grant’s is Scotland’s oldest family owned blend.

The Grant’s Family Reserve is priced at RRP £17.49 (70cl) available supermarkets and off licences. The Grant’s Signature blend will be sold exclusively at Tesco.com, priced at RRP £18.49.

Koko Kanu Coconut Rum

Perfect for rum lovers: Koko Kanu is a subtle blend of crystal clear rum and coconut; the only full strength coconut rum available in the UK.

This beautifully rich tasting coconut flavoured rum from the Caribbean island of Jamaica, is so smooth and round that it’s delicious on its own over ice.

Koko Kanu Daiquiri

Ingredients:

50ml Koko Kanu
25ml freshly pressed lime juice
5ml Gomme (available at all good retail outlets)

Method:
Chill a martini glass
Add all ingredients to a boston shaker, shake and double strain
Pour into the chilled glass and garnish with a slice of lime or a mint leaf

Koko Kanu Grikoko
(Created By Chris Langhan)

Ingredients:
2 Shot Koko Kanu
½ shot lime juice
1 whole Mandarin (quartered)
Dash orange bitters

Method:
Muddle whole mandarin including flesh and zest (everything), add liquid ingredients
Shake hard and double strain into a chilled cocktail glass
Garnish with a twist of orange

Bowmore Black Rock Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky

This is a very unique no age statement whisky. It has a rich sherry and peat smoke which is then followed by blackcurrants, treacle toffee and cinnamon spice. Buy for someone you want to impress. It is unique and they probably would not have tried it before. This was released for the travel retail market in 2014.

Don Papa Rum

This is brilliant and new for rum lovers. New Don Papa is a premium aged small batch rum from the Philippines which was launched in the UK in February 2014. It is light and fruity on the nose, smooth and delicate on the palate with flavours of vanilla, honey and candied fruit. The Don Papa Rum Gift Pack is available from majestic.co.uk and Majestic stores for £30 and from Harvey Nichols stores and online at www.harveynichols.com

Glen Moray Single Malt

This is a top-class Scotch whisky, buy it for the whisky lover in your life. Glen Moray Single Malt is distilled at the Glen Moray Distillery, Speyside’s most northerly distillery which has been producing whisky since 1897. This 10 year old single malt has been uniquely aged in chardonnay casks. £25.00, available from sainsburys.co.uk and glenmoray.com.

Three Barrels Honey

Excellent French Brandy. Drink it and cook with it. Oh, and buy it for someone else if you can give it away. The UK’s favourite French grape brandy, Three Barrels, has been blended with the finest honey flavours to create Three Barrels Honey. The new spirit drink is so smooth and mellow, you won’t want to give up a drop for Saint Nick.

THREE BARRELS ON THE ROCKS WITH A TWIST

Glass: 10oz Rocks

Method: Pour over ice cubes and spray orange oils over the top of drink

Ice: Cubed

Ingredients:

50ml Three Barrels Honey

Garnish: Trimmed orange zest

THREE BARRELS HONEY AND GINGER

Glass: 12oz Hiball

Method: Fill glass with ice and pour in order listed

Ice: Cubed

Ingredients:

35ml Three Barrels Honey

Top ginger ale

Garnish: Lemon wedge squeezed and discarded, garnish with fresh wedge

THREE BARRELS HONEY COLLINS

Glass: 12oz Hiball

Method: Pour all ingredients in glass except soda, and then add ice

Fill with soda and gently stir, top with ice if required

Ice: Cubed

Ingredients:

50ml Three Barrels Honey

20ml Fresh lemon juice

5ml sugar syrup

Top with soda

Garnish: Lemon slice

THREE BARRELS HONEY FIZZ

Glass: Chilled flute

Method: Pour in order listed and stir

Ingredients:

25ml Three Barrels Honey

Top with Champagne or dry sparkling wine (Cava or Prosecco)

Garnish: Lemon oils sprayed and discard zest

What will be your tipple?

The Best Christmas Stocking Fillers

Posted on October 27, 2014 by Frostie

Christmas is coming in fast, October is nearly over and we are already hearing jingles when we are out. It may be a time of festivities but it is also stressful and shopping can be a nightmare. So we are bringing you Christmas Gift Lists. Lots and lots of Christmas Gift Lists, bringing you great ideas and suggestions for your nearest and dearest. First up: stocking fillers. We hope you enjoy and feel free to add any comments below.

Ringtons’ 2015 Diary set £4.99 available now

This fantastic 2015 Diary Set will make organising the coming year as simple as making a cup of tea. Offering fantastic value for money the set includes both a desktop and a slimline diary. Exploring Ringtons’ history and including recipes, stories, Ringtons facts and customer poems, this diary set makes a lovely keepsakee or gift. We thought this looked great and was very handy. The little one will fit in your handbag, the bigger one is great for more detail.

Front Door Toffee Tin £4.99

This gorgeous red front door with festive Christmas wreath lid lifts off to reveal a selection of traditionally made flavoured Devon toffees. With six different flavours to choose from – including vanilla, strawberry, rum and butter, liquorice and treacle clotted crèmes, as well as chocolate éclair – this is a must-have for toffee fans. We loved this. It looks great, couldn’t be more festive if it tried and the toffees are good too.

The Bay Tree Christmas Selection

One of the UK’s leading producers of fine preserves, The Bay Tree is celebrating 20 years in business and has launched a collection of Christmas products. They have wonderful jams, chutneys and biscuits. They look great and they taste great. We would like a stocking full of their stuff this Christmas please.

Christmas Mini Jar Selection

All delicious: This trio of festive favourites has all bases covered. The three mini jars may be small in size but each is bursting with flavour. The Christmas Pickle is a delightful mix of cranberry, apple and currants – far better with hot turkey than simply cranberry sauce. To add a dash of sweetness and spice to the cold meat platter is the Boxing Day Chutney – an aromatic blend of apricots and coriander seeds. You’ll wonder how you ever survived Boxing Day without it! To keep the over-indulgence running right through till breakfast The Bay Tree’s Christmas Marmalade is a decadent recipe made using wild Moroccan oranges and a luxurious mix of spices.

3 x 100g RRP £8.30

Mulled Wine Spices in a Tin

We love mulled wine at Frost. So much that we have been known to have it all-year round. This gorgeous tin has five Bundles for mulling your festive Wine or Cider in a pretty oval tin. £3.60.

Brandy Butter

Yum. We love this. Just wonderful. Rich, buttery and boozy serve with Mince Pies and Christmas Pud £3.00.

We are a sucker for a good notebook and they are always the perfect thing to buy someone-who-has-everything. These Style Notebook range are from one of the leaders in office products and accessories, Leitz. Ideal for the jet setter that likes as much style in her work life as her wardrobe, Leitz Style Notebooks are the perfect gifts. The elegant Notebooks are available Via Amazon.co.uk and are available in five slick colours: arctic white, garnet red, celadon green, titan blue and Satin black. The Style Notebooks are available in A5 or A6 and have an attractive soft brush look, perfect for everyday note taking and comes with special features such as a built in back pocket and two sticky note piles to ensure optimum organisation. With the choice of a hard and soft back, the Style notebooks are as practical as they are chic.

Buy a Leitz Notebook here.

Avlaki Olive Oil 250ml Presentation Gift Box

We are a huge fan of Avlaki olive oil and were delighted when they sent a beautiful gift box for us to review. Their olive oil is first-class, truly brilliant stuff: Avlaki have created a festive gift pack featuring two of their extra special finishing oils – one of which won a gold one star in Great Taste 2014 and 2013. It is the ultimate gift for lovers of fine foods and those who enjoy exploring new tastes and flavours. It is also the perfect treat for those who would like to add a touch of gourmet glamour to their festive feasts.

Avlaki’s finishing oils are completely different. They are made from olives grown at varying altitudes on Lesvos Island in Greece, under the watchful eye of producers Deborah MacMillan, an artist, and broadcaster Natalie Wheen. They are handpicked in December, milled and bottled as soon as possible to capture the explosion of flavours from the olives in the bottle – and all to the highest British quality standards.

Cordello Home have a great range of everyday homeward products featuring their iconic heart symbol. The launch collection is designed to bring vibrancy and fun into your home – a true reflection of what the festive season is all about. These cute mugs are £12 each. They are good quality and look beautiful. They also have cushions and plates with the same designs.

Beanies have brought out Christmas flavoured coffee. Yup, Christmas Pudding flavour and Mulled Spice flavoured coffee. All coffees are syrup free, sugar free and only 2 cals per cup. Great for stocking fillers.

Pebble Grey specialise in LED bathroom mirrors and cabinets. They have a recently launched range of LED vanity mirrors and we love them. This hand held mirror makes you feel like a Hollywood star whilst checking out your appearance in a very good mirror. Presentation is beautiful: it comes in a box and a velvet drawstring bag. Beautiful and functional. Available for £19.99 at www.pebblegrey.co.uk

American hot sauce Frank’s RedHot is the ideal last-minute present for students, food fanatics or the man in your life. Perfect for fans of spice. Slip this into their Christmas stocking, they will love it.

Choose from the classic Original recipe, authentic Buffalo Wings, tangy Chili N’ Lime and daring Xtra Hot
£1.49 from Amazon.co.uk, ASDA.com, Sainsburys.com, Tesco.com, WholeFoods.com, Waitrose.com and Ocado.com

If you’re struggling for inspiration this Christmas, fill your stockings up with Frank’s. Hot, flavoursome and authentic, it’s the must-have sizzling stocking filler that’s perfect for men and foodies. Watch and enjoy as your loved one cracks open their present to reveal one $#It hot saucy gift this Christmas.

Frank’s is the American classic beloved by foodies everywhere for its versatility and zest. Add a fiery twist to a Christmas classic and

put a drop or two on your Boxing Day sausage rolls. Or if you’re ‘Christmased’ out by the 26^th, take some leftover turkey and a splash of Frank’s Original to make some mouth-watering fajitas. We have recipe for you below. Yum, sounds delicious.

BUFFALO CHICKEN DIP

2 lbs softened cream cheese

2 cups blue cheese dressing

2 cups Frank’s RedHot® Sauce

1 cup crumbled blue cheese

8 cups shredded cooked chicken

2 cups finely diced celery

1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella or provolone cheese

Julienne vegetables, chips, crackers, etc. as needed

1. Whisk together cream cheese, dressing, Frank’s and crumbled blue cheese. Fold in chicken and celery, mix well. Portion 1 cup of mixture into shallow oven or microwave proof ramekins. Top each with 2 tbsp. cheese. Cover and refrigerate until needed.

2. For service reheat dip until golden and bubbly and surround with dips

My Little Day has a great range of decorations for children’s parties that are also stylish and festive enough for Christmas. Their napkins, straws and glittery decorations are all beautiful and first class. Highly recommended for adding a bit of class to Christmas.

Popcorn Kitchen

Popcorn Kitchen refer to their popcorn on their website in caps locks as “THE BEST POPCORN YOU WILL EVER TASTE, HANDMADE USING TRADITIONAL METHODS”. We like confidence here at Frost and we also love popcorn so we thought we might be on to a winner. Turns out we were right. The popcorn is hand-popped in a giant kettle and then they hand-sift it to remove unpopped kernels and then taste every batch to make sure it’s perfect. It works and is tasty, moreish stuff. Perfect for watching endless Christmas TV with.

What would you add?

For The Kitchen…Frost’s Picks

Posted on October 27, 2014 by Frostie

Continuing with our hot picks, here are the things for the kitchen that have caught our eye this October.

Nakd‘s healthy chocolate alternatives such as Cocoa Orange, Cocoa Delight and Cafe Mocha went down a treat. Made with just pressed fruit and nuts, they’re gluten and dairy free, suitable for vegans and some even count as one of your five a day.

Nākd Bits are available in tesco.com and supermakets and have an RSP of £2.25 for a 130g bag

Nākd Protein Crunch bars and Nākd Nudie bars are available in Tesco, Waitrose.com, Morrisons.com Sainsbury’s and Ocado and have an RSP of 0.75p

Nākd multipacks are listed in Tesco,com , Sainsburys.com and Ocado.com for £2.29.

Ora is a kitchen roll with a difference. It is round and stacked for one. It also retains its shape after you have taken the wrapping off with only silver card at the bottom and a piece of cone-shaped plastic at the top. It comes of in round shapes. It also packs more kitchen roll into each pack: twice the amount of a normal kitchen roll. Pretty cool. It is also environmentally friendly, saving over 20% in packaging and reducing the amount of lorries on the road by 30%. Available exclusively from tesco.com

We really enjoyed Activia’s new Fruit Fusion range. The new range features a delicious layer of mouth-watering, exciting fruit combinations all topped with Activia’s creamy yogurt and its dairy goodness. Available in 4 x 125g packs, the ActiviaFruit Fusion range comes in three tantalising new flavour combinations: mango & passionfruit, blueberry & acai and raspberry & lychee. And because it’s from Activia, it also contains a mix of 5 live cultures including the exclusive Bifidus ActiRegularis®. Activia Fruit Fusion can be included as part of a balanced, varied diet and healthy lifestyle.

Activia Fusion is available in packs of four, RRP £2.19, and will be stocked in Tesco.com, Sainsburys.com, Waitrose.com, Asda.com, Morrisons.com and Co-Op.com from August.

The Most Epic Safety Video Ever Made takes flight on Air NZ

Posted on October 27, 2014 by Frostie

This epic video has been making its round on the internet. Dwarves, Orcs and Elves take flight once again as Air New Zealand unveils The Most Epic Safety Video Ever Made ahead of the December release of the final film in The Hobbit Trilogy, The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies, a production of New Line Cinema and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures (MGM).

Starring in The Most Epic Safety Video Ever Made are members of the cast from all three films in the Trilogy – Elijah Wood (Frodo Baggins), Dean O’Gorman (Fili the Dwarf) and Sylvester McCoy (Radagast). The video, which is directed by Kiwi filmmaker Taika Waititi (Boy, What We Do in the Shadows) also features cameos from The Hobbit Trilogy director Sir Peter Jackson, Weta Workshop co-founder Sir Richard Taylor and Waititi himself, who appears as a Wizard.

The safety video was shot over six days across a number of New Zealand’s Middle-earth locations, including Hobbiton and Central Otago, both of which appear in The Hobbit Trilogy. Behind the scenes creative talent from the films was also involved in the production of the video, including Weta Workshop, which supplied costumes and more than 150 make-up prosthetics, and Weta Digital, which created the visual effects.

Sir Peter Jackson says, “Air New Zealand has created yet another fantastic video to celebrate The Hobbitfilms. This latest offering combines members of our cast and our locations with Air New Zealand’s unique personality. I had a lot of fun on the set with Taika and the team and look forward to seeing the video on board.”

October’s Health & Beauty Picks

Posted on October 27, 2014 by Frostie

Here is our October Health & Beauty Round Up. Our Top Picks This Month.

Kale Enzymatic Exfoliating Cleanser (£16.50) is the latest skin saviour from Nourish. This truly multi-tasking treatment is a cleanser, mask and facial – all in one. Brilliant for busy women. 81% Organic and it really works. It even has the two ingredients of the moment in Kale and Argan Oil.

Created by Dr Pauline Hili, the pioneer in results-driven bioactive formulations, this latest addition to the Kale & Argan Treatment Collection renews and mattifies the skin, leaving it looking rejuvenated and healthy.81% organic and Soil Association certified. A ‘turbo natural’ 3 in 1 treatment: cleanser, mask, enzymatic facial

Kale Enzymatic Exfoliating Cleanser launched exclusively in Debenhams nationwide, also available from nourishskinrange.com, liv.co.uk, feelunique.com, Planet Organic, and other premium health stores, e-railers and pharmacies nationwide. Truly brilliant stuff.

Herpatch Serum is brilliant for cold sores. Many of us get these annoying and painful things when we are run down. Herpatch has an instant effect and treats every stage of the cold sore. It also protects and conceals. It is brand new and unique. It helps along the healing process in as little as two days. It also forms an invisible film to stop the virus spreading. It costs £7.99 from Boots and boots.com

We were very impressed with ColdZyme, which is the first clinically proven product to be developed with the unique Trypsin enzyme (found in deep sea cod) which works to counteract infection and trap the cold virus in the mouth and throat before it has chance to take hold.

While most other cold remedy products only help reduce the symptoms of a cold (at best – since only very few of those have any documented effect), the ColdZyme Mouth Spray is acting on the cause of the disease itself. The spray is suitable for adults and children from 4 years+. One bottle of ColdZyme® 20ml is enough to treat three common cold episodes and ColdZyme® One Cold 7ml is enough to treat one cold.

ColdZyme® 20ml £15.99 and ColdZyme® One Cold 7ml £9.99 will be available from Boots stores nationwide and www.boots.com from beginning September 2014

HOW THE ColdZyme® SPRAY WORKS

The scientific breakthrough has led to the global patent protection of trypsin from artic deep sea cod and its use as an active ingredient and ColdZyme® is the first over-the-counter, preventative cold treatment to use the enzyme. The easy to use oral spray targets the mouth and throat where the cold virus takes hold and multiplies. It works by coating mucous membranes, creating a protective enzyme barrier that acts on the cold virus, trapping them and disabling their ability to bind to human cells where they would normally start to cause typical cold symptoms. The spray will also help to shorten the duration and severity of symptoms when used during the early stages of an existing cold.

BRYT Remove is water-based and fragrance free. We were very impressed with this makeup remover. It removed everything and is great for sensitive skin. This hard-working cleansing solution whisks away all traces of make-up, including the most stubborn eye make-up, while respecting the delicate eye zone, thanks to the inclusion of nourishing Olive and Almond oils.

In keeping with the range, BRYT Remove also features the innovative Advanced Phytoscience System (APS), which includes pure Aloe Vera, healing Allantoin and rich ‘super-antioxidants’ extracted from organic Australian wild-harvested plums Kakadu, Burdekin and Illawarra – these super-fruits contain up to five times more antioxidant power than blueberries. Aloe in its purest form soothes and calms the, while nature-mimicking Allantoin will heal and treat the BRYT Remove Eyes & Make-up, £10.50 for 100ml

BRYT Skincare is available at Sparks Yard, Arundel; Food for Thought, Guildford and online at www.brytskincare.co.uk, www.myfabulouscollection.com. Selected products will also be available from 110 Waitrose branches nationwide

Purepotions has a wonderful tea tree rescue salve. This is brilliant for spots, bites, fungal conditions and cold sores. It is cooling and natural. Keep one in your bag at all times. £4.65 for 15ml from www.purepotions.com

We are always sick of waiting for our nails to dry. It takes ages and they inevitably smudge. Which is why we jumped to try The Ultimate Fix. It high-speed nail polish fixer that creates amazing The Ultimate Fix is “ecstasy for nails”. Does it work? We think so.

“I couldn’t live without The Ultimate Fix as it halves drying time, helps polish last and smells great. It’s a ‘mani must have’” – Stephanie Staunton, Celebrity Manicurist and Brand Ambassador. Stephanie’s clients include Helena Bonham Carter, Scarlett Johansson, Leona Lewis and Mila Kunis.

Beauty Narcotix’s The Ultimate Fix was also endorsed by UK Top Beauty Blogger Fiona Klonarides’ 2014 The Beauty Shortlist Awards, who made the fix a Finalist in the ‘Best Nail Product’ Category.

The Ultimate Fix is available at Selfridges London (Beauty Workshop Ground Floor), Urban Outfitters (Oxford Street), www.BeautyNarcotix.com and www.sallyexpress.co.uk.

The Ultimate Fix (50ml) will treat approximately 12 manicures or pedicures, and retails at £9.50. It is also available in 200ml size, treating approximately 50 manicures and pedicures, and retails at £17.

Everyone could do with a bit of help sometimes and vegans and vegetarians may find it harder than meat eaters to achieve a balanced diet. We reviewed Sublingual Vitamin B12 and Korean Ginseng from Veganicity. Veganicity.com has a range of supplements is 100% Vegan Society registered, which means that not only do they meet very strict criteria regarding the complete absence of animal products or derivatives, but are also 100% ethically produced. They have a lot of different vitamins on their website.

Korean Ginseng gives you energy from nature. Vegan Korean Ginseng, naturally containing ginsenosides, to normalise the body, maintain a healthy immune system and keep stamina levels.

Vegan Vitamin B12 in a Blackcurrant methylcobalamin sublingual form, to help body development, boost physical and mental alertness, maintain a healthy nervous system and keep many other essential processes going. Both help give natural energy over the Christmas period.

Got a tattoo? One of the first all-natural, water-based creams has just launched in the UK. It is great stuff and really works if you have a tattoo that needs some TLC.

Formulated to help reduce irritation, heal soft tissue damage and hydrate recently tattooed skin, the lightweight creamy gel, from makers – Pig Fat Pomades – sinks into the skin instantly and leaves a non-oily finish for all new ink owners.

The natural blend of antioxidants includes Borage Seed Oil, an anti-inflammatory; Arnica Montana Flower Extract, which has long been used to treat bruising, soft tissue damage and the shock of impact (like a tattoo) and Jojoba Oil which gives thecream its soothing and moisturising properties. As a water-based product, which hasn’t been tested on animals, it won’t stick to clothes, won’t trap heat and won’t drain colour.

Paul Johnson, Pig Fat Pomades founder, said: “When a friend of mine had a gorgeous tattoo done, he spent a lot of money on a cream which was full of chemicals, yet was little more than a moisturiser with some grape seed oil. I knew it would be possible to make something more effective, more natural and more affordable – so we got to work.”

Tattoo Cream is currently available at www.thegroomingclinic.com and www.menareuseless.com and at selected tattoo studios. The RRP is £10.95 (58g)

What do you think?

Half Pint Glass | Great Christmas Ideas

Posted on October 26, 2014 by Frostie

At Frost we have been reviewing hundreds of things. We are more snowed under than a December day but, never fear, it is all worth it to bring you the best Christmas Gift Ideas. We are doing all of the work so you don’t have to. First up is this awesome Halfpint Glass. It is an actual half pint glass. It looks cool and is a genius idea. Even better if you are not a big drinker and want to look like you are drinking a full pint, you can only tell it is a half pint from the side.

Product Details:

Size (Width, Height, Depth):
W9.5, H15, D5 cms (W3.75, H6, D2 inches) approx.
Volume:
Half a pint (285ml)
Extra Information:
One half pint glass included in the box.
Quirky novelty glass, a definite talking point at your next party.
A perfect little gift or stocking filler.

The Half Pint Glass costs £9.99 from thepresentfinder.co.uk

Ruby Red Body Moisturiser Review

Posted on October 24, 2014 by Frostie

We loved this new Soothe and Nourish Hydrating Body Moisturiser from Ruby Red. It absorbed easily and was gentle on those with sensitive skin. We love natural products and this fits the bill. It has six nourishing plant oils including hydrating Babussu oil to lock in moisture all day. It left us silky smooth and moisturised. Good stuff.

The moisturiser has:

Olive Oil to moisturise and aid skin regeneration
Sweet Almond Oil an emollient to soften the skin
Grapeseed Oil a moisturiser with active antioxidant
Babassu Oil to soften the skin
Shea Butter to aid skin hydration
Jojoba Oil to condition the skin

With added actives of Aloe Vera and Glycerine to soothe and ease absorption and Vitamin B% to reinforce the hydrolipidic barrier for improved skin hydration and to even out skin tone.
Naturally fragranced with soothing oils of Jasmine, Cardamom and Ylang Ylang.

Suitable for dry and sensitive skin.

Available from Fortnum & Mason, Harvey Nichols Knightsbridge, Planet Organic, John Bell & Croyden and selected independent beauty boutiques and online at www.ethicalsuperstore.com and the Ruby Red shop – www.rubyredcosmetics.co.uk.

Victor’s Drinks Make Your Own Cider Review

Posted on October 24, 2014 by Frostie

Making your own alcohol may sound like something they did during prohibition, or that one of your mates does but doesn’t do a very good job of. Not anymore. Making your own cider is coming to the masses. As featured on Dragon’s Den: Victor’s Drinks Make Your Own Cider is a brilliant invention. It is easy, convenient and really gets a party started. We tested it and we loved it. Just add water and the yeast, then days later: you have cider! The cider is cloudy and mixed berry. Other flavours are available. It tastes great to be honest and we can highly recommend it. Christmas is coming and this would make a good present and is also a great way to entertain your guests. We like.

History
Alex Dixon (28) and Ralph Broadbent (27) met at University and hosted many parties during their years studying. Their parties grew and so did the requirement for alcohol. Alex experimented with home brewing, to the delight of his friends who always loved it, although for Alex there was a lot of time, effort and money required to get there. In the following three years Ralph and Alex spent time coming up with a way of changing the way people viewed home brewing and in October 2013 launched the first batch of apple cider drinks kits which is an extremely simple way to make your own alcohol while also having a fantastic taste. Alongside Victor’s Drinks Ralph and Alex put on a number of music festivals across the UK including the award winning 15,000 strong Y-Not Festival in Derbyshire.

Why Victor’s Drinks?
The name Victor’s Drinks is derived from the word “Victory”, and is based around the personal accomplishment gained from creatingyour own drink. The box is designed like a trophy and #TasteVictory is used across their social media channels.

How Does It Work?
The product is based on bag in box technology, and comes ready filled with a specially formulated syrup which gives the drink its flavour. In order to create the drink the customer just removes the cap (which also acts as a valve), removes the plastic seal (which keeps the syrup fresh), adds the supplied sachet of yeast and fills with 18 pints of warm water before leaving at room temperature for 10 days, following which, the drink can be poured directly into a glass. Inside the box the sugar in the syrup and the yeast combine to create the alcohol. Once the drink is ready it can be drunk within 3 weeks.

The Product
The box should ideally be kept somewhere at room temperature and not moved for 10 days. You can keep the cider for up to 3 weeks and the longer you leave it the dryer the taste becomes. The ales are also ready after 10 days. The box features a push tap for easy pouring.

Locations
Victor’s Drinks is based in London Fields, close to Alex and Ralph’s current London home in Angel.
Alex was born in Poole and lived with his family in Wareham until moving to Manchester University at the age of 18.
Ralph is from Biggin near Ashbourne and like Alex moved to Manchester after his A-levels.

Dragon’s Den
Victor’s Drinks received an offer of investment as seen on August 3rd episode. After initial worries all but one of the Dragon’s opted “out” and they rejected a sole “offer” from Duncan Bannatyne however Alex and Ralph returned with a counter-offer and a deal was agreed for £40,000 for 25% share, which if after 3 years all profit targets are hit, will reduce to 15%. Following the programme (filmed in April) Ralph and Alex have been working hard on the brand are are excited about re-launching in the coming months.
Watch the episode here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b04d4nbc

Stockists
Victor’s Drinks is available on their own website as well as at Cuckooland.com, Victor’s Drinks Apple Cider 20 Pint Kit is available here, Menkind, Fenwicks, QD Stores, Victor’s Drinks Homebrew Cider Making Kit – 10 Pints Elderflower is available here, Hawkins Bazaar and a variety of independent gift shops and garden centres with a rep of £24.99

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