Cussons' Carex Grapefruit & Lime Mini Hand Sanitiser

I'll start with saying I love the smell, but obviously I *picked* it because I love the smell, so your mileage may vary.  Its a great size, fits well in most handbags, and it doesn't tend to leak.  Mine has lost its cap after awhile, but still doesn't seem to leak and the rest of the bottle is holding up well to damage.  It has gone a little bit sticky over time (especially since the cap is missing) but its still very useable and doesn't leave residue afterwards.  I can't promise it works, obviously, but hopefully advertising standards has taken care of that one for me!

Cost 1-10 with ten the most expensive: 2
Value for money 1-10 with ten being the best: 6
Durability 1-10 with ten being the most: 6
Usefulness 1-10 with ten being the most: 7
Importance 1-10 with 10 being the most: 5
Smile Factor 1-10 with ten being the most: 3
Cool Factor: 1-10 with ten being the most: 2 

*Do I think its the best in its field: NO
*Could I live without it: YES, BUT MY LIFE WOULDN'T BE AS GOOD
*Target gender, age range, and possible further demographic targets : Most ages, All genders.

Disclaimer: No financial interest in this company and no-one else asked me to do this review.

Duracell AA PlusPower Batteries

As I stated last week, I use AA batteries quite variably, and I informally tried to compare these, which are meant to hold their top power for longer but have a shorter overall life, to the Boots extra long life which do the opposite.  I have to admit, they have a reasonably long life themselves.  They can experience temporary power drops, but usually leaving them alone for days or weeks means when you use them again they're back to before, and they do hold their initial power very well.  Inasmuch as I notice, I think there is a stage where they drop too much in power for me before they die. They respond better than the long life in terms of being left alone and coming back up, but both respond and I think I draw slightly too much energy to use the long life to all of their potential.  I possibly favour these but don't have a side by side comparison.  There certainly isn't a glaring enough difference for me to choose anything other than 'whichever is cheapest' at this point in time!

Cost 1-10 with ten the most expensive: 3
Value for money 1-10 with ten being the best: 8
Durability 1-10 with ten being the most: 9
Usefulness 1-10 with ten being the most: 10
Importance 1-10 with 10 being the most: 10
Smile Factor 1-10 with ten being the most: 1
Cool Factor: 1-10 with ten being the most: 2 

*Do I think its the best in its field: POSSIBLY
*Could I live without it: NO
*Target gender, age range, and possible further demographic targets : Most ages

Disclaimer: No financial interest in this company and no-one else asked me to do this review.

Boots AA extra long life batteries

I use AA batteries fairly sporadically for a lot of things, and I haven't always had luck with rechargeables which are ever so slightly bigger.  I was told that the extra long life ones will in fact have a 'longer' life, but will lose their initial power sooner. I can verify that they do have a long life compared to any AA I've ever had, and they do seem to lose some of their punch a bit faster, but as long as you are running them in a lower usage piece of equipment you won't notice.  I haven't done a strict side-by-side, but I'm favourably impressed. 

Cost 1-10 with ten the most expensive: 3
Value for money 1-10 with ten being the best: 8
Durability 1-10 with ten being the most: 9
Usefulness 1-10 with ten being the most: 10
Importance 1-10 with 10 being the most: 10
Smile Factor 1-10 with ten being the most: 1
Cool Factor: 1-10 with ten being the most: 1 

*Do I think its the best in its field: POSSIBLY
*Could I live without it: NO
*Target gender, age range, and possible further demographic targets : Most ages

Disclaimer: No financial interest in this company and no-one else asked me to do this review.

Almost thanksgiving time... Libby's Pumpkin Puree

I know, strictly speaking, it is food... but its certainly specialist. And... it just really does create a VERY nice pumpkin pie, less liquidy and a slightly different quality of pumpkin to most other brands. It does seem to be getting harder to find, but I've sourced some for this year... Stock up if you can find it!

Cost 1-10 with ten the most expensive: 4
Value for money 1-10 with ten being the best: 9 (I do LOVE pumpkin pie tho!)
Durability 1-10 with ten being the most: 10
Usefulness 1-10 with ten being the most: 4 (I mean, it is only useful when you need pumpkin puree)
Importance 1-10 with 10 being the most: 10
Smile Factor 1-10 with ten being the most: 6 (Its... pumpkin!)
Cool Factor: 1-10 with ten being the most: 1

*Do I think its the best in its field: YES
*Could I live without it: MAYBE, BUT I'D BE UNHAPPY
*Target gender, age range, and possible further demographic targets : Male, Female, Most Ages, Americans

A day late, but extra excited... Tesco cotton wool buds

I know, seriously, right? But I love cotton wool buds in every way. I may not be supposed to... but they really are handy with my generally otherwise sad ears, and they take nail polish off... and are generally good for cleaning small things. Tesco has a very sensible and useful approach, although they do have a weird beauty variant which has two different ends, is ok for certain types of cleaning, but otherwise very annoying! Still, the main ones... they work. And I have over the years found several brands that don't... in all sorts of countries!

Cost 1-10 with ten the most expensive: 1
Value for money 1-10 with ten being the best: 10
Durability 1-10 with ten being the most: 4
Usefulness 1-10 with ten being the most: 7
Importance 1-10 with 10 being the most: 7 (There really aren't any good replacements)
Smile Factor 1-10 with ten being the most: 1 (Neutral)
Cool Factor: 1-10 with ten being the most: 1 (It really isn't...)

*Do I think its the best in its field: NO
*Could I live without it: YES, BUT MY LIFE WOULDN'T BE AS GOOD
*Target gender, age range, and possible further demographic targets : Male, Female, Most ages, Babies

Burt's Bees Beeswax Lip Balm (Original)

Lip balm reached some sort of pinnacle when this was made, and one which the company itself has never equalled. I'm not saying I can't use other ones, if I have to, but they aren't as nice. They also don't tend to last as long, which means I run out quite quickly. Further, Burt's Bees is relatively resistant to being licked off (great for me when I'm nervous). It also makes me want to lick my lips slightly less, which is helpful... and seems to go on well under lipstick and reasonably under lip gloss. It also works great on the skin around your lips, and for those who care, its a nice solid unisex design. If your lips are bleeding (not just chapped) you probably want to go with something gentler in the first instance (possibly even another one of their line, I just don't find the variations strong enough). Otherwise, I fail to see how others can beat it.

Cost 1-10 with ten the most expensive: 7 (Its very expensive for lip gloss, particularly in the UK)
Value for money 1-10 with ten being the best: 9 (It lasts long enough to make up for the cost difference, and its better to boot)
Durability 1-10 with ten being the most: 9 (Most durable lip gloss I've ever found)
Usefulness 1-10 with ten being the most: 10
Importance 1-10 with 10 being the most: 10 (Hey, I live in places where its necessary AND I lick my lips. Double negative. Less necessary in Indonesia/Malaysia)
Smile Factor 1-10 with ten being the most: 4 (Peppermint makes me smile, and Burt's Bees has a bit of general happiness about it)
Cool Factor: 1-10 with ten being the most: 5 (Its like enviro-cool, or geek-cool, but its still kinda cool!)

*Do I think its the best in its field: YES
*Could I live without it: NO
*Target gender, age range, and possible further demographic targets : Male, Female, Most ages

Disclaimer: No financial interest in this company and no-one else asked me to do this review.

Fulton Folding Umbrellas

Its like an answer to all my umbrella dreams. No, really! And somewhere within the range, you should find one that answers your dreams as well. I'm not sure my exact one is sold anymore, but it is quite close to a Superslim. It measures 22cm when closed (they range about 15-23.5 from what I can see) and a mere 50cm when open (the lowest current one is 86cm?). With just a 3cm diameter it fits in almost all of my handbags, no mean feat. Its super lightweight, amazingly sturdy, and has a nice round handle. The funny rectangle ones just don't *work* in my hands! However some of the other ranges allow for square handles, or "standard' ones, and slightly bigger umbrellas. This is often for the price of a bit more weight, but most people will hardly notice the difference.

Both my current one and my near identical previous one had patterns, but they have plenty of plain colours as well as a variety of both interesting and cheesy patterns. My previous one was a victim of the same crime that lost me my handbag and ridiculous amounts of contents, and the umbrella was one of the last things I managed to replace, as foolishly I hadn't noted the brand first time around. Neither have ever shown the least signs of breaking, over a collective three year period (the current one is about two years of age).

It does a fairly good job ending itself to being put away properly, the cover is easy to use, awesomely matching, and makes putting it away wet no problem. I seldom dry it afterwards, although its never truly a bad idea. My cover was very recently lost in a bus stop accident, and I miss it, but until that moment it was very useful! Its not your standard golf umbrella, and you won't easily fit another person under it, but this makes it even easier for darting around in the city with. 100% Win.

Cost 1-10 with ten the most expensive: 2
Value for money 1-10 with ten being the best: 10
Durability 1-10 with ten being the most: 8 (I wouldn't bash it against walls when open, etc)
Usefulness 1-10 with ten being the most: 10
Importance 1-10 with 10 being the most: 8
Smile Factor 1-10 with ten being the most: 7 (Increases with increasingly awesome patterns. I've averaged the two I owned, but seen some others that would ramp that right up...)
Cool Factor: 1-10 with ten being the most: 6 (Depends on your patterns. Hardly uncool, though, on the whole).

*Do I think its the best in its field: YES
*Could I live without it: YES, BUT MY LIFE WOULDN'T BE AS GOOD (I would, without one, be living without an umbrella entirely... it is doable, but not ideal)
*Target gender, age range, and possible further demographic targets : Male, Female, Most ages, City (Living or travelling)

Disclaimer: No financial interest in this company and no-one else asked me to do this review.

Tesco 'Naturally' Concentrated Fabric Conditioner

A really lovely fabric conditioner, I have to admit one of the things I love the most is the smell (cotton/almond). But it works well, clothes always coming out a good texture, which I haven't found true of all of them. It also seems not to set off allergies common to detergents/fabric softeners. If you leave wet clothes alone they are prone to moulding, but thats true in most cases...

Cost 1-10 with ten the most expensive: 2 (They do cheaper ones. By pennies).
Value for money 1-10 with ten being the best: 10
Durability 1-10 with ten being the most: 8 (Doesn't seem to go off, not too easy to break bottle its stored in)
Usefulness 1-10 with ten being the most: 10
Importance 1-10 with 10 being the most: 8 (Fabric conditioner is important, but not 100% paramount in all cases)
Smile Factor 1-10 with ten being the most: 2 (Nice colour and packaging on a mundane product)
Cool Factor: 1-10 with ten being the most: 3 (Its not embarrassing at least!)

*Do I think its the best in its field: YES
*Could I live without it: MAYBE, BUT I'D BE UNHAPPY
*Target gender, age range, and possible further demographic targets : Male, Female, most ages

Disclaimer: No financial interest in this company and no-one else asked me to do this review.

OPI Natural Nail Base Coat

Really splendidly done, I wish I had discovered it sooner. Its easy on, one thin coat, dries easily and smoothly, and makes all the difference. Without it, most nail lacquers (OPI included) look quite thin and don't have a good colour. WIth it, one good coat or two thin ones makes a strong gorgeous colour, and it lasts. I tend to keep the same colour on, and topping up just the lacquer seems to work fine.

I'm not sure I agree with the claim that it prevents staining, as I had a very dark coloured lacquer which still stained, and never normally have problems regardless.

I find a really smooth vibrant long lasting finish just from using this, and don't bother with top coats or sprays, which I tend to feel are for shininess more than anything. But then I only do my toes, preferring just to file/buff my fingers. Relatively, though, its the base which seems to make it last. It seems to work with other nail varnishes as well, although I tend to like OPI the best.

Cost 1-10 with ten the most expensive: 5 (small bottle around £10)
Value for money 1-10 with ten being the best: 9 (Lasts approximately forever, doesn't need updating with seasons, and makes nail lacquers worthwhile.)
Durability 1-10 with ten being the most: 6 (Its hardly invincible but its not prone to issues)
Usefulness 1-10 with ten being the most: 9 (An absolute MUST within nail varnishes, only really superseded in nail care by clippers & file)
Importance 1-10 with 10 being the most: 4 (Nail varnish itself isn't that important. But its the first step, even with just one colour)
Smile Factor 1-10 with ten being the most: 1 (Doesn't mean it makes me UNhappy, so won't be tagged negatively)
Cool Factor: 1-10 with ten being the most: 2 (Only awarded cos OPI is a cool-ish brand)

*Do I think its the best in its field: POSSIBLY
*Could I live without it: YES, BUT MY LIFE WOULDN'T BE AS GOOD
*Target gender, age range, and possible further demographic targets : Female, Most ages

Disclaimer: No financial interest in this company and no-one else asked me to do this review.

Contact Lens Solution - Boots Wins (+General Discussion)

Disclaimer: No financial interest in this company and no-one else asked me to do this review.

I realise not everyone wears contacts, but lots of us do! Now, I want laser eye surgery, don't get me wrong. But since I can't at the moment... my contacts and glasses are vital. And hard to keep up on.

Now, I was specifically told to go over to the hydrogen peroxide based solutions, which you have to keep out for six hours whilst they neutralise in a special case. The main reason I was sent that way was so I kept them out of my eyes for six hours a a time... which is good for you! The downside is I can't pop them out for a few hours here and there, but you could have a second case with saline (I think they feel weird afterwards though, I no longer like the other solutions). The benefits outweigh the downsides heavily for me.

As a side effect, I found they clean much better as well! Particularly the all in one solutions, using 3-4 products seems a recipe for something to go wrong, and all the steps are inconvenient. Now, don't go against your eye doctors rather specific instructions, but most aren't and don't need to be too involved. In that case, hydrogen peroxide based eye care solutions are a go! Boots is hands down my favourite, but there are others that are ok if they don't feel as good. Particularly in the USA where they don't have Boots, you will have to find another - Clear Care by AOSept seems to be decent. Some people will find they dislike some brands and like others better, so trial sizes are great.

My strongest recommendation is for the general product type, but I champion Boots, and will apply my numerical evaluations to Boots brand specifically.

If someone who isn't used to these asks, that weird noise is in fact the contact lens case... not escaping air or an alarm or whatever else!

Cost 1-10 with ten the most expensive: 5 (It is about £10/mo)
Value for money 1-10 with ten being the best: 6 (See above... not saying you can do any better!)
Durability 1-10 with ten being the most: 4 (Expiry dates, can't be exposed to sun, just exploded one in my luggage tho badly packed!)
Usefulness 1-10 with ten being the most: 10
Importance 1-10 with 10 being the most: 7 (Can wear glasses, but rather not. I'm taking the general point here, obviously Boots specifically can be replaced if necessary)
Smile Factor 1-10 with ten being the most: 1 (Doesn't mean it makes me UNhappy, so won't be tagged negatively)
Cool Factor: 1-10 with ten being the most: 2 (Only awarded for the fizzy case which is fun.)

*Do I think its the best in its field: YES
*Could I live without it: YES, BUT MY LIFE WOULDN'T BE AS GOOD (Would say "NO" if meant all contact lens solutions...)
*Target gender, age range, and possible further demographic targets : Male & Female, Most ages, Anyone with contact lenses really!

Sharpie Markers (Multi-coloured)

Disclaimer: No financial interest in this company and no-one else asked me to do this review.

It just needs to be said - if you need a marking pen, buy Sharpies. I've tried so many random off brands for so many reasons, and some of them haven't even been remotely useable. Even the ones that wrote at all, weren't anywhere near as good as sharpies. You can find good deals on them, too, if you look in the right places.

My original motivations for buying the multi-coloured ones were to use in the lab, it helped me tell apart experiments/days more easily, and since everyone else had black ones, they were harder to steal (in fact I didn't lose a single one). But they are great for labelling food in shared fridges (more versatile than black) and labelling boxes, and they have a super cool smile factor when you can use random colours for things. Its one of those not very expensive but not strictly necessary purchases that has just been full of win. And win. And win!

I'll have a quick run down of the colours in case you're thinking of buying an individual colour or a small pack instead of the large one. Navy, Purple, and Brown are essentially a cooler version of black, sometimes with more versatility. Nothing else is as solidly good for when you need a dark colour. Red and Magenta are also useful on a large variety of surfaces / tend to stand out. I have used Teal, Orange, and Turquoise and enjoyed them, but they only take to certain surfaces / background colours. Light green and Yellow are both very hard to use, and surprisingly the standard green isn't loads better.

Cost 1-10 with ten the most expensive: 3
Value for money 1-10 with ten being the best: 8
Durability 1-10 with ten being the most: 10
Usefulness 1-10 with ten being the most: 9
Importance 1-10 with 10 being the most: 4 (Lets be honest you can get around sharpies in most situations, and can always get around coloured ones)
Smile Factor 1-10 with ten being the most: 9 (They bring me SO much grin)
Cool Factor: 1-10 with ten being the most: 7 (There is a geek cool element in play here, but that counts. And even non-geeks like them!)

*Do I think its the best in its field: YES
*Could I live without it: YES, BUT MY LIFE WOULDN'T BE AS GOOD
*Target gender, age range, and possible further demographic targets : Male & Female, Any age over about 14 years of age, definitely anyone who has to label things a lot for any reason, otherwise for fun, moving, or similar!

Dakine Carry-On / Cabin Luggage (Hombre)

Disclaimer: No financial interest in this company and no-one else asked me to do this review.

I've not had overwhelming luck in the past with carry-ons for some reason. My large and ugly but very serviceable checked bag has been around for 11 years and is still limping along, but my most recent previous small suitcase shattered internally... yeah I didn't know that was possible either.

The main points are that it rolls, it fits under the seat in front of you (but not on train luggage racks when full). Its soft, so it stretches a bit, nice large sturdy zippers, and personally I'm a fan of the colour as well. I've only abused it for a year so far, but the only wear and tear it shows at all is on the plastic plating at the bottom where i've dragged it on curbs. It has two handles which remain very securely attached despite me burdening it with up to 40 kilos, the wheels are still in great shape, and it attracts neither dirt nor stains. I think I'm going to call this one a win, there are other colours and patterns available if you fancy them, and as its primarily a snowboarding company? Well, temperatures shouldn't bother it.

Cost 1-10 with ten the most expensive: 6 (fairly average for what it is)
Value for money 1-10 with ten being the best: 8 (Have to see how it holds up in the long term but its looking good)
Durability 1-10 with ten being the most: 8 (So far so good)
Usefulness 1-10 with ten being the most: 9
Importance 1-10 with 10 being the most: 9 (More travel may quickly cause me to upgrade this, I certainly need it loads and my life has improved miles since I got it)
Smile Factor 1-10 with ten being the most: 7 (I enjoy it and find it a good style, but at the end of the day it is grey and black...)
Cool Factor: 1-10 with ten being the most: 8 (Company has an edge, good pattern, definitely something about it_

*Do I think its the best in its field: POSSIBLY
*Could I live without it: MAYBE, BUT I'D BE UNHAPPY
*Target gender, age range, and possible further demographic targets : Male & Female (absolutely recommend for both), Any age over about 10 years of age, anyone who travels lots - specifically on airplanes, but its great for buses, city visits, and perfectly fine for trains when you want to carry less. You could bring a larger suitcase on a train, certainly, but then this one isn't in the way when you stop for drinks on the way to visit friends etc, etc.

Hairspray - Boots, its the best

Disclaimer: No financial interest in this company and no-one else asked me to do this review.

This is a simple but heartfelt one. The best hairspray I've ever come across - and its Boots own brand. But, not all of them. To be really specific, the extra firm hold which is not perfumed. Any lighter or heavier of a hold doesn't really seem to work as well, and I'm not alone in thinking this, I've had this discussion with a handful of people. In interest of full disclaimer, I've never tried the perfumed versions, but I personally prefer products without added perfumes where I can, anyway. Its the light purple spray bottles, for those of you who want ease in shopping. And the large cans are a lot easier to work with, but they do all work. No frizz, no mess, doesn't weigh your hair down, and can be used as much as needed. ACE.

Cost 1-10 with ten the most expensive: 1
Value for money 1-10 with ten being the best: 10
Durability 1-10 with ten being the most: 8
Usefulness 1-10 with ten being the most: 10
Importance 1-10 with 10 being the most: 10 (I never really go a day without it)
Smile Factor 1-10 with ten being the most: 6 (Its important, but more relaxing than giggle inducing)
Cool Factor: 1-10 with ten being the most: 3 (Hairspray is cool... ish?)

*Do I think its the best in its field: YES
*Could I live without it: NO
*Target gender, age range, and possible further demographic targets : Male & Female (absolutely recommend for both), Any age over about 10 years of age, and honestly pretty much anyone who has hair more than about an inch in length that isn't dreaded or braided full time.