Salon Science: AnaGain Review – For Thicker, Fuller, Denser Hair

Posted on November 7, 2014 by Frostie

Frost is reviewing something a bit different: In recent years there has been a huge leap forward in plant bio-active and stem cell technology which has provided access to superior formulations and ingredients which have not, until now, been available in haircare. Salon Science is a brand new haircare collection of 18 products that uses plant stem cells and bio-active technology within the formulations.

Developed by the leading experts in plant stem cells and bio-actives, all of the products are underpinned by extensive in vitro and in vivo testing. The collection is comprised of four ranges, each devised to tackle a specific series of problems using a key active ingredient, derived from plant extracts.

Salon Science seamlessly combines cutting edge scientific expertise with plant bio-active and stem cell technology resulting in a luxury salon quality collection. Salon Science breathes life back into hair… reviving, revitalising and nourishing from root to tip.

There are many reasons why women lose their hair. Pregnancy, hormonal imbalance, nutritional deficiency, metabolism, genetics and stress. With that in mind we tried the AnaGain

This is what they say: “Packed with AnaGain, an organic pea sprout extract that is rich in restorative proteins, starch and fibres. These rebalancing phytonutrients combined with caffeine agents stimulate blood circulation to help encourage the growth of hair at the root. This advanced formulation helps strengthen, add volume, moisturise and protect, making hair more resistant to everyday damage. Continuous use of the Pro-accelerant regime helps give denser, thicker, fuller hair in 3 months.”

Do we think it works? Yes, hair looks noticeable better and thicker. Although this is all cosmetic it make you look and feel better. The shampoo is £15, the conditioner is £17 and the treatment is £39. Considering the price of other hair loss treatments- and the fact that many of them don’t actually work- this seems reasonable. We will continue to use this and give a further update in a few months.

Available from boots.com

PacaPod Hastings Parenting Bag Review

Posted on November 7, 2014 by Catherine Balavage

Some parenting bags look awful, others are just not that functional. When we reviewed the PacaPod Hastings Parenting Bag we were very impressed. It has different removable sections for each aspect of parenting: feeding, changing and a mat. Even more impressive, it even has space for the ol’ parents things. The hastings is even better because it is also unisex, so the poor woman doesn’t end up always carrying the bag. It has three bags rolled into one and is easily cleaned. The mat and removable bags are easily wiped clean, they also can be unzipped and packed away flat in the bag.

We were very impressed with the bag, it is stylish, functional and is also lightweight: everything you could want in a parenting bag. It gets our stamp of approval. We interviewed Jacqueline Waggett, founder of the amazing PacaPod changing bags here.

PacaPod’s new ‘Travel Lite’ Hastings puts the knapsack back on the map for adventure seeking parents. Versatile in design it can be worn as a shoulder bag or backpack and seamlessly marries style with practicality, combining utilitarian styling with innovative new design features and a super lightweight construction.

Perfect for all kinds of family road trips the Hastings is part of PacaPod’s ingenious new ‘Travel Lite’ range and weighs just .56kg. It has a practical top loading style which makes it easy to arrange baby gear and pack, grab and go. The brand’s unique 3-in-1 ‘baby organisation system’ has also been cranked up a notch with new flat pack feeder, changer pods and mat which are simple to clean and fold away.

Retaining a sense of tradition for this much-loved style the Hastings features a modern pin-stripe print, offset with faux leather trims that will have both mum and dad reaching for it as they leave the house. The sturdiest and most adaptable change bag on the market it represents a great value too, providing parents with three bags rolled into one and the tools they need to travel in confidence with tots on board.

Hastings in Mocha or Driftwood priced at £65 available from www.pacapod.com, johnlewis.com and mummyandlittleme.co.uk

Click Stick Monopod For The Ultimate Selfie | Christmas Gift Ideas

Posted on November 7, 2014 by Frostie

The ultimate selfie tool for the social media junkie in your life. This very cool gadget lets you take the best selfies ever. Get as many into the group picture as you want. Easy to use and very cool.

Monopod Stick extends up to one metre for long range self portrait selfies.
Compatible with most Smartphones – no Bluetooth or pairing required
Adjustable clamp allows photo device to arrange the angle of the shot
Android users: download app Camera 360 for optimum use
Ideal for use with any get-togethers and family gatherings

£19.99 from menkind.co.uk

Sam Wannamaker’s Globe Works Its Magic By Penny Gerrard

Posted on November 6, 2014 by Margaret Graham

After unexpectedly warm and fine autumn days the weather has taken a sharp downhill turn and it’s cold and very, very wet. What better on such a day than a visit to an outdoor theatre? Courtesy of Amazon local we have half price vouchers for the Globe Theatre exhibition and tour. We owe the reconstruction of such an iconic building to Sam Wannamaker, the American Shakespearean actor, who made it a lifelong project, sadly dying before he could see its completion.

As we walk across Southwark Bridge the contrast is stark between the Elizabethan style of the Globe Theatre, the original of which was built some 300 metres away in 1599,and the brutal architecture of Tate Modern which towers over it. I know which I prefer.

Inside the exhibition centre we are greeted by a series of fascinating exhibits bringing the world of Shakespeare to life. We are struck by the London cityscape as it was in Shakespeare’s time with its low rise buildings dwarfed by the original St Paul’s and love the idea of the Frost Fairs which took place on the Thames in times of colder winters .

In a display cabinet I spot two small pottery objects – spherical with an elongated pointed top and a slot on the upper slope. One is intact and the other has a jagged fracture on it as if it has been dropped or hit. I recognise these as “boxes” which were used by the ticket sellers to collect the pennies which it cost for a standing only ticket in front of the stage and somewhat more for an actual seat. There was no stopper at the bottom as in modern money boxes. Instead they were taken round to the “office” where they were broken open to retrieve the takings. Hence the expression “box office” which we still use today. It also accounts for why intact examples are so rare. It seems to me that replicas would sell like hot cakes in the gift shop?

We embark on our tour, escorted by Simon, almost certainly an actor from his voice and demeanour. We find ourselves sitting on the pine benches (slightly more comfortable than the oak used for most of the theatre construction). The rain lashes down into the unprotected area in front of the stage – where the hardy audience known as “groundlings” stood in the past and still do today, come rain or shine, but now at the price of £5 (a 1200% increase).

My mind travels back across the four centuries since Shakespeare’s time and I can visualise the cast, all male of course, putting on one marvellous play after another, all in broad daylight and with little in the way of scenery. Despite that they still managed to ignite the imagination of the audience in a way that continues to this day. I promise myself to come back next spring and share that timeless experience with them.

By Penny Gerrard

Triskele Books | Self Publishing

Posted on November 6, 2014 by Margaret Graham

Triskele Books is an author collective, a group of five writers from three countries who edit, proof, consult, advise, co-promote and market their books on a shared platform. Each works as an independent entity but all benefit from mutual support. From time to time they also take on associates who fit the Triskele ethos.

Between them, they have now published seventeen novels and offer advice on the process via The Triskele Trail, a warts-and-all story of how they made some mistakes and some smart decisions, discovered opportunities, found friends and dodged predators in the independent publishing jungle.

They have an informative blog, including a Toolbox with practical advice, a Bookclub with reviews and author interviews, and a Writers’ Services section, showcasing approved providers.

Core members are Gillian Hamer, JJ Marsh, Liza Perrat, JD Smith and Catriona Troth. Current associates are JW Hicks and Barbara Scott Emmett.

This autumn Triskele Books celebrates five new releases:

Crimson Shore by Gillian Hamer

A half-naked woman dead in a ditch. A disappearing pathologist. A teenager run off the road. For a peaceful island, Anglesey is experiencing abnormal levels of crime. What’s the connection? Crimson Shore is the first novel in The Gold Detectives series set along the North Wales coast.

Rats by JW Hicks

In one world she is Bitch Singer—fighting a dictator, guerrilla style. In another, she is Dorrie Hart, housewife and mother—carer to a speech-impaired child. Which world is real, which life is true? And why does she wake each morning crying for a lost lover—a lover she is determined to find?

Cold Pressed by JJ Marsh

When an elderly British tourist falls to her death from a Santorini cliff, one witness claims it was no accident. Hellenic Police ask for international assistance from DI Beatrice Stubbs. As she tracks the killer from the Cyclades to the Dodecanese, Beatrice discovers two surprising things. One is a fifty-year old secret. The other is her inconstant heart.

Delirium: The Rimbaud Delusion by Barbara Scott Emmett

“How many times had I dreamt of coming across the yellowing manuscript of La Chasse Spirituelle? Inside an old book on a stall in Paris, perhaps. Or in the attic of some befriended ancient…” The intoxicating hunt for a lost poem by Rimbaud.

The Fate of an Emperor – Overlord II by JD Smith

My name is Zabdas: a brother, protector, soldier and sacrifice. I am a defender of Syria. I shall tell you the story of my beloved Zenobia: fearless woman, determined wife, Warrior Queen of Palmyra …

Crushed between two warring empires, Zenobia and Zabdas are ordered on another mission, deep into enemy ranks, to deliver terms to the King of the Persians, and pray they will not be flayed alive.

But all is not what is seems. More than one person is intent on betrayal …

Triskele Books will be launching these five titles at Barton’s Bookshop in Leatherhead on 15^th November. The following day, they will co-hosting the Indie Author Fair at the Chorleywood Lit Fest.

BabyBjörn Baby Carrier We Review

Posted on November 6, 2014 by Catherine Balavage

I went to check out BabyBjörn’s new Baby Carrier We at the W Hotel. I was very impressed. First of all: it looks incredibly stylish but, equally important, it is easy to use. You don’t even need to take your baby out to turn the carrier around. It is very secure and safe. It is easy to put on, easy to manoeuvre and is comfortable. It doesn’t cut into the shoulders or rub. You can carry the baby on your front, inward-facing or on your back when your child is older. From newborns to three-years-old. The one we tried didn’t have an outward-facing option but not every parent wants that. It works and we highly recommend it.

After hundreds of interviews with test families in several countries, a recurring theme was identified. Parents want a simple baby carrier that they can use for a long time, The BabyBjörn Baby Carrier We is flexible with perfect ergonomic support, and has a great design at an affordable price, it is unique in the market and will help new families everywhere enjoy the benefits of babywearing with BabyBjorn. Parents now expect baby carriers to be safe, comfortable and high quality, which is always guaranteed with all BabyBjörn products and carriers.

With the BabyBjörn We, you are guaranteed:

Ergonomic baby carrier offering maximum comfort – adjustable with padded shoulder straps and waist belt.
Three front and back carrying positions (special inward-facing option for newborns)
Long usage time, from birth to 3 years with support for the child’s head, back and hips.
Available from johnlewis.com and here.

“Today’s parents have an active lifestyle and a baby carrier needs to be practical and fit into all parts of family life. It should be just as easy to put on and wear at home in the middle of the night, as it is in a queue at the airport,” says Björn Jakobson, founder and CEO of BabyBjörn.

The Baby Carrier We is made of the best quality cotton and polyester. The materials are certified for use in baby products in accordance with Oeko-Tex Standard 100, Class 1, which guarantees that they do not contain any health-hazardous or allergenic substances.

Christmas Spirit Shots | Christmas Ideas

Posted on November 6, 2014 by Frostie

A shot glass that looks just as great on your tree? What a brilliant idea. We loved these Christmas Spirit Shots. They are cool and funky. Get them for yourself or as a stocking filler.

There is no better way to get into the festive spirit than spirit itself, and with these bright, neon baubles you can have spirit in every room.

Perfect to add to your Christmas tree or to dress up your sideboard, these six flasks can be filled with your favourite spirits as a quirky and fun decoration over the Christmas season.

Features:

6 Christmas Tree Decorations
Fill With Favourite Spirits
Neon
Screw Tops

From iwantoneofthose.com

The Warwick Rowers Club Calendar 2015

Posted on November 6, 2014 by Frostie

Looking for a gift that just keeps on giving? Looking to spread a little joy to your loved ones 365 days of the year? This should definitely bring a smile to their face.

The Warwick Rowers Club has trained solidly for six months….in order to strip off and bare it all for their beautifully produced 2015 calendar (available now www.warwickrowers.org)

The famously clothes-resistant university athletes have become somewhat of a cult phenomenon after record breaking sales last year following coverage on Good Morning America and E! Entertainment News – raising more in the first 24 hours than in the previous four years and even causing their website to crash!

Raising nearly £50,000 for their university sport and charity, the team won Cause Related Calendar of the Year and People’s Choice Award at the 2014 National Calendar Awards and was a favourite amongst high-profile supporters including Stephen Fry, Sir Ian McKellan, Kylie Minogue, Gok Wan and Boy George.

Due to last year’s success the team hope to raise more than just a smile and are donating over half its profits to university sport and also Sport Allies – a charity initiative set up by the boys to challenge homophobia in sport.

Members of the rowing club have been working with other students, including representatives of Warwick Pride, the university’s LGBT organisation for students, professionals from Ernst & Young, and leading figures in the voluntary sector to roll Sport Allies out nationally, and to begin the process of creating an independent registered charity.

The calendars £12.99 each

Frost Magazine

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