Category: eco friendly

Johnsons Lawn Seed Celebration Wildflower Tins

Children, eco friendly, Family Life, Gifts for children, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, Gifts for teachers, Home, Home & Garden, Spring, Summer, Vegan, Vegetarian

Disclaimer – We received this item free for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.

I love gardening, especially this time of year when all the plants start to really take off, it’s a joy to be outside and the wildlife is taking over our gardens.  I plant a lot of seeds, take cuttings and every year promise myself to do something different to encourage nature in the garden.

Johnsons Lawn Seed are helping with that goal.  They don’t just sell grass seed for lawns, but seed mixes too. We were sent some Celebration Wildflower tins to try for this summer, which incidentally coincides with #NoMowMay; the month where we are encouraged to not mow the lawn and let the wildflowers, weeds and therefore nature take over. It increases diversity and encourages the ecosystem to flourish.

Johnsons Lawn Seed Celebration Wildflower tins are 100% wildflowers which cover up to 15 square metres, which is about the size of a large room. The prepare the area to be sown, a bed of soil needs to be weed free (to decrease competition) and raked finely to give a medium-fine seedbed.  Seeds should be sown from April to the end of June, then rake over them slightly and water in to ensure the birds don’t get them! Wildflowers don’t need to be deep in the ground to be able to grow well.  The wildflowers should start to bloom from mid-June onwards until the first frosts of the autumn (mid October) as long as you keep them watered, especially at the germination phase.  

The tins, which are the same type of pull-cans as supermarket beans, contain 17 different seed types including California Poppy, Cornflower, Cosmos, Painted Daisy and Pot Marigold.  Each of the different wildflowers grow to different heights and at different times so over the course of a summer you get a tumbling array of different flowers, scents and foliage. With each tin, the 15 square metres of soil space will probably provide a few wildflower bouquets over time as well, but the variety of different seeds will attract all sorts of butterflies, bees and even moths to the garden over the course of the season.  Children will love to help plant these as well as watch them grow as they are quick to geminate and wildflowers by their nature are able to grow in all sorts of soil and spaces. If you don’t have a soil bed anywhere, a pot or window sill will also accommodate the blossoms if you keep them well watered.

The Celebration Wildflower seeds we planted this week haven’t germinated yet and it will be a few more months before they do, and we are looking forward to seeing what comes up, and what wildlife is attracted into the garden.

Available from £7.99 at most garden centres. See details at Johnsons seeds here:  johnsonslawnseed.com 

MyPura Baby Wipes

Baby, camping, Children, eco friendly, health, Plastic free, Vegan, Vegetarian

Disclaimer – We received this item free for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.

Thankfully, it has become well known in the last few months that all types of bathroom wipes aren’t good for the environment. They cause blockages in your own domestic plumbing but beyond that, the wipes cause devastation to the wildlife once they are released into the reservoirs, rivers and seas. They may say they’re disposable, but many are not.

MyPura Baby Wipes are NOT disposable via the toilets in homes and plumbing system across the UK. They are however, designed to be more environmentally friendly in many other ways, so there is less guilt about using them once you throw them away.  Made of 99% water and organic aloe vera, they don’t have any plastic content and therefore are 100% compostable and 100% biodegradable, so landfill isn’t a problem. 

Each pack contains a generous 24 wipes and perfect for baby, they are perfume and alcohol free. Alcohol often dehydrates the skin, so with the aloe vera, they help to hydrate baby’s skin and can be used by you too. Brilliant for taking off make up!  I was particularly pleased to see that the packaging is 100% recyclable and the wipes are verified vegan and Allergy Friendly too. 

Do they work though?  I particularly liked the MyPura wipes because they could be used on me as well as children, and they didn’t have any scent that put me off or made me feel self-conscious. Sometimes when you use wipes on your face, there’s the alcohol smell or a fragrance left behind that you’d rather not be smelling all day, and these MyPura ones don’t have that.  They’re also really efficient because they are made of aloe vera and a high content of water, so don’t dry out as soon as you take them out of the packet.  The packet is also really handy too as it seals up again quickly after use!

From £2.03 per pack (on subscription) at: https://mypura.com/products/eco-baby-wipes

PLAYin CHOC Chocolate

Birthday Gifts, Children, eco friendly, Family Life, Food & Drink, Gifts for children, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, Gluten Free, Lunchbox Fillers, Mother's Day, Plastic free, Stocking Fillers, Vegan, Vegetarian

Disclaimer – We received this item free for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.

Anyone looking for chocolate gifts will love the PLAYin CHOC organic chocolate range. Made from Peruvian Cacao it has no dairy, no gluten, no nuts and is totally vegan. The business was started by Maya back in 2016 when she wanted to create dairy-free chocolate using the simplest ingredients; cacao, coconut and vanilla. Maya also wanted to promote awareness about the planet’s biodiversity and offer an ethical alternative, so all of the PLAYin CHOC products are plastic free.

Beyond how award winning this chocolate is (It has won the Great Taste Award in 2022 for both their dark and milk chocolates, among other accolades), the range is something to behold in terms of fun. Just a quick look at their website and you can see the chocolate gift boxes available, all of which include their winning chocolate, but also have models which children can build based on the theme of the gift box. There’s Endangered Animals, Woodland Animals, Dinosaurs, Rabbits and a Christmas box. There’s some lovely 12 and 24 day advent calendars available at Christmas time too!

For the adults, PLAYin CHOC also have 60gram tablets of 6 pieces of chocolate.  We were sent the Peruvian Cacao Milk Chocolate and Peruvian Cacao Dark Chocolate to try. Each chocolate is wrapped in compostable material (it looks like plastic but it’s not) so you can store them easily or even add them to a lunchbox for a quick chocolate treat.  

My favourite was the Dark Chocolates. You can really taste the cacao in them, and there’s a strong flavour from the coconut as well.  I really enjoyed the fact that there were no added extras to the chocolate, it’s a chocolate lover’s worse nightmare to be deterred from the real chocolate by additives, preservatives and unnecessary flavourings.  The dark chocolate has a stronger chocolate flavour,, but the milk chocolate is milder if you’re not a big fan of dark. 

If you’ve never tried PLAYin CHOC, have a look at their website for chocolate for both chocolate for the kids, as well as yourself!

Available online from £3 each at: 
https://playinchoc.com/products/copy-of-justchoc-box-br-organic-peruvian-cacao-m-lk-chocolates-60g

JustChoc Box<br>Organic Peruvian Cacao Dark Chocolates 60g

FFØR Haircare

beauty, eco friendly, Gifts for Her, Mother's Day, Valentine's Day Gifts, Vegan, Women

Disclaimer: We received these products free of charge for the purpose of this review however all thoughts and opinions are our own

We love trying new hair products so were very excited when FFØR sent us some new products to try. The Re:Nourish shampoo and conditioner and Re:Plenish hair mask has worked wonders on my dry frizzy hair (read our review here) so I had high hopes for these new products!

I have a bit of a love hate relationship with my curls, some days they look fantastic and others they go a bit wild and unkempt and the only way to look presentable is to tie them back so at least I look a little more presentable! Luckily there are so many amazing curl products available now and I always try to use products like FFØR which are free from nasties like sulphates, parabens and alcohol which tend to strip my curls of moisture.

FFØR stands for Free From, Original, Real and are an ethical company who believe in Clean Beauty, both for you and the planet. Their products are vegan, cruelty free and free from nasties and they only work with likeminded, ethical suppliers who can provide verified information about their sourcing, and who share their important values. They are also winners of the Marie Claire 2022 Hair Awards and the Global Green Beauty Awards.

I use a leave in conditioner to help moisturise my curls but have found that some can be quite heavy and leave my hair looking and feeling quite greasy. I was therefore pleased to discover that the FFØR Show off Leave In Conditioner is incredibly light and can be sprayed onto damp hair. After a couple of washes, I worked out the right amount for my curls and can honestly say my curls have never looked better.  It has made a real difference to the look and feel of my hair, it is now a lot softer and has certainly helped to tame the dreaded frizz! 

RRP £20

Designed to leave hair looking fuller & thicker, the Re:Vamp spray is the newest edition to the FFØR range,enriched with a blend of organic bergamont & vetivert  it not only smell amazing but gives plenty of bounce and volume to my curls. The light mist isn’t sticky and gives light, natural volume to my hair, and more definition to my curls. I also noticed that the volume I got from my freshly washed hair, didn’t drop and go flat by evening and even the following day I still had some volume which I was really pleased with.

RRP £21

The FFØR Super Shine Gloss Mist gives my hair the most lovely shine. You really don’t need a lot – a quick mist over dry hair is all you need for a fantastic shine. Infused with a ethically sourced ingredients including Bergamot, Vetivert and Bertholletia Excelsa Seed Oil (Brazil Nut Oil), the mist also left my hair feeling super soft.

RRP £19

I am really impressed with these products and can’t wait to try more products from them!

Innoteck Kitchen Pro Electric Kettle

eco friendly, Family Life, Gifts for Her, Home & Garden, Mother's Day, Plastic free, Women

Disclaimer – We received this item free for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.

Innoteck are the kitchen pros with all sorts of appliances such as air fryers, coffee makers, sandwich makers and kettles.  Along with their appliance range they also have small kitchen items like bamboo chopping boards, baking trays and even photo frames. We were sent the Innoteck 1.7 litre electric kettle as a Mother’s Day gift to review to see how we liked it. We did!

The kettle comes in 4 different colours – green, white, grey and the version we were sent is black and each colour has a corresponding toaster too. The outside of the kettle is textured which makes the black body more interesting and far more stylish than the old-fashioned plastic kettles that used to adorn the worktops of kitchen but added no aesthetic.

The Innoteck Kitchen Pro stands apart from other kettles, not just because of its stylish, timeless design but because because it’s BPA-free and therefore not toxic.  The main body of the inside of the kettle is made of metal with stainless steel accents and for anyone who is following the plight of plastics in the ocean, you’ll know that it’s not only the fish and wildlife who are suffering from ingesting plastic but also the human effect of eating small plastic particles when they enter the food chain. Heating water to high temperatures with plastic kettles is one of the ways microscopic plastic particles end up in our bodies.

With that information, you can see why more and more appliance makers are turning to stainless steel machines, as well as making them more recyclable.

The Innoteck Kitchen Pro kettle takes hardly any time to boil, at less than 2 minutes for a full kettle. The instructions ask that you don’t put less than 0.5 litres of water in to protect the element but the kettle can take 1.7 litres of water in all. It’s also got a circular base, which makes it easier for people like me who are left handed and need to move the kettle around to get to. The electric lead is around 50cm long too, and conveniently the element has an overheating guard if you don’t manage to fill the kettle with enough water before you switch it on and will switch it off without sufficient water.

This is a nice gift for anyone and will be used for a very long time on a daily basis in most households. Mum, or Gran, will love it for Mother’s Day.

Innoteck Kettle available for £27.99 at: https://innoteck.co.uk/product/1-7l-black-kettle/

FFØR Hair Products

beauty, Birthday Gifts, Christmas, cruelty-free, eco friendly, Gifts for Her, Mother's Day, Valentine's Day Gifts, Vegan, Women

Disclaimer: We received these products free of charge for the purpose of this review but all thoughts and opinions are our own.

It can feel quite daunting choosing a new shampoo, there are so many different ones available for every hair type, so whether your hair is short, long, curly, coloured, oily, dry or anything in between there is a product for you. Whilst we are spoilt for choice when it comes to the haircare market it can start to get expensive trying new products, and it’s quite frustrating spending hard earned money on new products only to find they don’t suit your hair. We’re all feeling the pinch at the minute, so The Review Studio have been trying out a selection of hair products and sharing our favourites with you.

FFØR stands for Free From, Original, Real and as you’ve probably guessed from the name are an ethical company who believe in Clean Beauty, both for you and the planet. Their products are vegan, cruelty free and free from nasties and they only work with likeminded, ethical suppliers who can provide verified information about their sourcing, and who share their important values. They are also winners of the Marie Claire 2022 Hair Awards and the Global Green Beauty Awards so with such impressive credentials I was keen to see how the products performed on my dry frizzy hair.

The Re:Nourish shampoo lathers up nicely into a rich foam and rinses out very easily.  My hair felt very clean and well hydrated after use. The shampoo is perfect for dry and damaged hair and is infused with organic orange and cinnamon giving it a lovely fragrance which is subtle but very pleasant.

The Re:Nourish conditioner is rich and creamy and easy to apply to my hair, before rinsing I scrunched it into my hair which helps add moisture to my curls. It rinsed out easily leaving my hair tangle free.

I use a hair mask weekly so was pleased to find a Re:Plenish hair mask in the gift set.  It is thicker than the conditioner and once applied I combed it through from root to tip to ensure that it was applied evenly. The instructions say to leave it on your hair for 3-5 minutes before rinsing so as my hair needs lots of moisture, I left it on for the full 5 minutes so that it could penetrate my hair properly. Afterwards my hair was soft, smooth, nourished, frizz free and smelt lovely too.

After using these products for 2 weeks I can see a huge improvement in my hair, it feels nourished and moisturised, and the frizz has gone, it also looks a lot shinier than it was before. My curls look great, even without extra styling products and they are defined and bouncy.

The Re:Nourish gift set costs £39 so why not give the gift of great hair this Galentine’s Day with FFØR.

Philip Kingsley Haircare Products

beauty, Birthday Gifts, eco friendly, Gifts for Her, Gifts for teachers, Mother's Day, Women

Disclaimer – We received this item free for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.

Philip Kingsley is synonymous with quality hair products as well as great gifts.  We were sent the Nourish & Volume Jet Set pack – a set of Elasticizer, Body Building Shampoo and Moisture Balance Conditioner in travel sizes, all set for going on holiday this summer!

I have bought Philip Kingsley before and was impressed by with the high quality of their shampoos and conditioners so to have a travel set that I can take away with me, and not have to rely on whatever shampoo the hotel provides makes it a travel must have for me. Whilst we’re on the subject, why do hotels only provide shampoo and not conditioners when you stay? Do we not want luscious, glossy locks whilst we’re on holiday, or do they assume we will bring our own? Well with this shower-proof pack (the set comes in a zip bag) there isn’t a question.

The Philip Kingsley Elasticizer (75ml) is step 1 in your haircare routine.  To apply, wet your hair before shampooing and work the Elasticizer into all sections. Cover with a shower cap for 10-20 minutes, the longer the better, then rinse off and use the other Philip Kingsley products. The pre-conditioner works on your hair before you take off the residue with the shampoo, leaving it softer, conditioned and as the name suggests, elasticised.  

The Body Building Shampoo (75ml) works with the Elasticizer to cleanse the hair but also leave it voluminous and bouncy.  It actually cleans really deeply too to leave your hair properly clean, and as I like my hair, squeaky clean! It has a lovely light fragrance too.

The Moisture Balance Conditioner is the last of the Philip Kingsley haircare steps and is great for when you’re on holiday because it nourishes and moisturises hair which might have been exposed to sea water, chlorine and the weather.  Used in combination with the Elasticizer, it’s slightly more gentle, but leaves hair soft and bouncy and manageable too.  It also has a lovely fragrance like the shampoo.

All Philip Kingsley products are available on their website and are 100% recyclable and cruelty free. All orders on their website are postage free and also come with a free sample – I had a 20ml shampoo sample with mine so I can take that on holiday too!

Philip Kingsley have a huge range of haircare products on their website and works with trichologists to develop the very best in haircare products.

Philip Kingsley Nourish & Volume Travel Kit is available online for £30 at: https://www.philipkingsley.co.uk/philip-kingsley-nourish-and-volume-jet-set.html

Jamu Wild Water

Children, Drinks and Mixers, eco friendly, Family Life, Food & Drink, Lunchbox Fillers, Plastic free

January is not only Dry January, but the beginning of the year is a time to try new things and for many of us, to become healthier! Jamu Wild Water have these 100% Natural and Zero Sugar waters to tempt you into the healthier side of living in 2023, and sent us some of them the try.

The waters come in 250ml sized cans in three flavours; Natural Sparkling Raspberry, Natural Sparkling Blood Orange and Natural Sparkling Lemon. As the name suggests, they don’t contain any sugar or artificial sweeteners and each have added Vitamin C and zinc.  Not only are they made with natural fruit flavours but with nourishing botanicals and are gently fizzed so you can attempt almost anyone with their texture or taste!

The Natural Sparkling Raspberry flavour is slightly sweet from the raspberry and elderberry fruits, with the root flavouring of the Marshmallow Root Extract coming through. It’s probiotic too, giving your gut a better nutrient from the probiotic root it contains.

The Natural Sparkling Blood Orange flavour contains chicory root for probiotic health, and the flavour comes from the sweet blood orange and Echinacea, which has immune boosting properties.

Lastly, my favourite is the refreshing Natural Sparkling Lemon with the invigorating citrus flavour from lemons, and added nettle and dandelion extracts, the combination of which is used traditionally to relieve inflammation, boost immunity and aid digestive health.

Suitable for the whole family, they will be particularly useful in flu season and when the kids don’t want to drink just water. The 100% recyclable cans means that Jamu Wild Water can be taken out on car journeys, picnics or even to school. Can’t wait until after Dry January to find out what else it can be mixed with too!

Available from www.jamuwildwater.co.uk, £20 for 12 cans.

Liforme Yoga Mat

Birthday Gifts, Christmas, cruelty-free, eco friendly, Family Life, Fashion, Fitness, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, health, Home & Garden, Plastic free, Sport, Sustainable, Women

Disclaimer – We received this item free for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.

By a certain age, or maybe it’s a certain level of fitness, yoga becomes less of a puzzle and more of a necessity. The company Liforme pride themselves on doing things differently to support and encourage the practice of yoga, and do so with their conscientious products. Their ethos to ‘Live for More’ by positively engaging communities is evident on their website, along with some delicious products any yoga fan will adore!

Amongst the products available was this Liforme Grateful Rainbow Yoga Mat which was sent to us to try out.  It’s bright pink, printed with an eco-friendly, non-toxic design of a rainbow mandala and alignment markings which can be described as guides for your feet and hands. This mat is a serious bit of kit for serious yoga people and you can tell just by looking at it. There’s much more science, and thought, behind it than you realise though, as I discovered.

The Liforme Yoga Mat is made with a real natural rubber base (so that it doesn’t slide all over the place) and the top layer is made of eco-polyurethane.  In all, the mat is 4.2mm thick but it feels thinner than that. It’s not chunky or clunky at all. The top eco-polyurethane layer is designed to be more grippy than other mats, so that you can practice without worrying about sliding all over the place, and the design is printed with durable yet eco-friendly ink. The same goes for all the designs of the yoga mats available on the Liforme website.  The mat weighs in at a hefty 2.5kg though so if you’re used to your yoga mat being light-as-air, this is going to be quite a shock!  The weight comes from the quality of the material though.

The dimensions of the mat come in at 185cm long and 68cm wide. That’s 73 inches long and 27 inches wide in old money.

As for the usability, the mat comes with a free carry case, which is needed when you have a rolled-up mat of this size and weight and need to transport it to several lessons a week.  The real test is in a yoga class, which is where any yoga equipment needs to prove itself.  The bright pink façade is very pleasing especially as you know in a dimly lit room and when you might need to wander around a bit, you can never lose it!  The surface is nicely grippy. Grippy enough for a Downward Dog and to not face plant yourself.  Liforme call this GripForMe technology and it allows you to use your full body weight in poses and not move an inch. Not even a millimetre for that matter, as I discovered when I was able to more pressure into some of the poses than I usually would. So in some ways, you could say that the Liforme Yoga Mat made me better at yoga as a result!

Liforme as a company have recently been awarded B Corp status. The B Corp status proves that Liforme has high standards of social and environmental impact as their core belief as a company and a quick look at their website proves that their high quality and non-toxic materials are the tip of the iceberg when it comes to responsibility. The mats bio-degrade in 1-5 years (depending on conditions) and believe that they have the world’s most planet-friendly yoga mat.

Truly a treat, the Liforme Yoga Mats aren’t cheap but they are suited to the serious yoga practitioner or fitness expert and look simply gorgeous. The unique design and alignment cues make this yoga mat stand out from all the rest, and a perfect gift too. 

Available for £140 (but currently on sale for £105) at:

Liforme Grateful Rainbow Yoga Mat – Grateful Pink/Rainbow

Chicco Balance Bike

Baby, Birthday Gifts, Children, Christmas, eco friendly, Family Life, Fitness, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, Home & Garden, Learning

Disclaimer- We received the Chicco Balance Bike for the purpose of this review. All thoughts and opinions are our own.

Riding a bike is something everyone should be encouraged to do as it not only keeps us fit but it’s also a more eco friendly mode of transport which is a great benefit for our planet.

Learning to ride a bike can be quite daunting for children, when I was learning I had a set of stabilisers which gave me some confidence to ride.

Bikes have really come on in leaps and bounds since I was a child and balance bikes seem a popular choice amongst parents.

A balance bike is a two wheeled bike which helps children develop the necessary balance on two wheels. Acting as a comfortable stepping stone to a real pedalled bicycle.

The child uses their feet to propel themselves instead of pedals which gives them a greater sense of balance whilst riding.

With Christmas fast approaching I can see the Chicco Balance Bike being well received by any lucky recipient.

This super stylish balance bike not only looks awesome in it’s 3 available colours (Green Rocket, Pink Arrow and Red Bullet) it feels very robust and safe!

Suitable for ages 2-5 years the Chicco Balance Bike will give your little one the confidence to take up bike riding.

With grippy adjustable handle bars, a soft non-slip saddle and anti-puncture wheels the Chicco Balance Bike will develop your child to switch to their first real bicycle without any difficulties or fear.

Available to buy from https://www.chicco.co.uk/products/8058664130658.balance-bike.html

RRP £39.99

Oclean Flow Rechargeable Electric Toothbrush

Birthday Gifts, Children, Christmas, eco friendly, Family Life, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, health, REUSABLE, Tech

Disclaimer – We received this item free for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.

If you’re looking for an electric toothbrush, you will be astounded at both the range available and the price of them! Oclean have launched a reasonably priced toothbrush at less than £25 which is both rechargeable by USB and sonic.  They sent us one this week to try out.

The Oclean Flow toothbrush has everything you would expect but at that surprising price.  It has Sonic Technology, so that’s sonic speed to the brush oscillation which is 38,000 strokes per minute. It has 5 easy to use brush modes (Morning, Night, Standard, Whitening and General) with a 2-minute smart timer. Flicking through each of the modes is just at the touch of the one on/off button so there isn’t anything complicated to learn or read up about in order to get your routine. You can even do two of the modes back-to-back if you want to go the extra mile.

The toothbrush comes with one brush head which is made of DuPont bristles. I liked the bright orange bristles, which make it much easier to see in the dark mornings! They also act as an indicator to let you know when the brush head needs replacing.

Charging is easy with the USB Type-C lead which comes with the toothbrush. The Type-C port is at the base of the toothbrush which is accessible from a lid which flips open. You know when there is 10% or less charge left in the toothbrush because the round button flashes red to indicate it needs charging. One single charge can last up to 25 weeks though with morning and evening brushing.

When using it, the instructions give you a warning that it may make your gums tingle if you haven’t used an electric toothbrush before, but as I usually do, it wasn’t a problem for me. I liked the firmness of the bristles and how easy it is to use especially with just one control button and nothing too complicated for late at night or early in the morning. The same goes with the 2-minute timer so you don’t have to think much. My teeth were left clean and fresh afterwards, as you would expect!

It is surprising that this brush is so cheap and that it’s aimed at adults and teenagers because it’s rather sophisticated for what it can do, but easy to use. I think most children would be able to use it easily, and the white look and packaging makes it universal for everyone.  Perhaps good for taking on holiday, especially with such a long charge amount and the ability to charge from a USB outlet? It’s a fabulous present for anyone and looks like it’s a lot more expensive than it is!

Available for £21.10 at: