Beauty Must-Haves, Manta Hair Brush, Favourite Skin Products, Good Books, Useful Household Bits & Bobs …. I wish I didn’t flit between themes so much. Next time I promise a less haphazard Loves, Likes & Must-Haves feature.
Vibrant Skin Serums

I’ve been using all 3 of the Vibrant Skin serums but particularly love the Hydra B5 & Hyaluronic Acid Serum. It’s great for rehydrating my skin and makes my face feel incredibly smooth. The Energising Vitamin Serum kind of plumps up the many laughter lines (Sounds a bit kinder than wrinkles, I always think) rather like a primer which is obviously good news. The Time Repair Serum I’m going to use for a bit longer to see if it’s more long-term working. Try them, I’m sure you’ll love them as much as me.
Manta Hair Brush

I’ve no idea how many of you have heard of the site arthr but being of a certain age, it’s become a favourite of mine. I love my Manta Hair Brush which is a flexible palm-sized brush that nestles easily in my hand to gently brush my fragile post-menopause hair! However it also detangles my 2 year old granddaughter’s hair and is perfect for everyone except perhaps those with curly hair. My other favourite from arthr is their Long Hot Water Bottle With A Luxury Fleece Cover. It’s a Godsend when my neck and shoulders are really bad as I can just wrap it around my neck like a scarf and it is so soothing.
Skin Solace Shampoo Bar

I actually bought one of these for my daughter who suffers with dermatitis on her head. It seems to be doing the trick so far, so good news there. For myself I bought the wonderfully-scented Lime, Orange & Black Pepper Shampoo Bar. It’s probably the best shampoo I’ve ever smelled in fact. That orange oil is just so aromatic! I love the fact that the bars come in small aluminium tins to keep them dry but if you’re happy to keep on reusing the tin the eco-friendly way, you just reorder tinlessly. Lasts for ages, good for your hair and scalp and a mid-ranged price. Perfect eh?!
The Wild Year by Jen Benson

I’m not going to give too much away here as so many reviews I’ve read tell way too much of the story. Suffice to say, this rivetting, eye-opening and heart-warming book is about a family who live in a tent for a year. Rent is too high, cost-of-living is rising so let’s try and live with fewer overheads! I loved this book and I think you’ll love it too.
H2O HD Steam Cleaning System

You all know that Mr. 50 Plus is the world’s most dedicated DIYer and living in a doer-upper can mean a lot of mess! Not with these two babies though.
The H2O HD (https://h2o-hd.thanedirect.co.uk/ )
This is the best-selling, Ideal Home Approved steam cleaner that everyone raves about. It converts from floor to handheld in seconds and is a pretty nifty piece of kit.
Then there’s the H2O e3 (https://h2o-e3.thanedirect.co.uk/ )
This is the revolutionary eco mop that won Natural Cleaning System Product of the Year last year. No more harsh chemicals around the home. All you use is salt, water and electricity to provide a lifetime supply of powerful sanitising cleaning solution.
Only Curls Hair Products

Ok so my eldest daughter is a ‘Curly Girl’ and over the years has tried pretty much everyone of the curly hair products out there. The world of curly hair is a minefield as those of you who scour the vast number of sites online looking for hashtag #curlygirl know. The thing is what suits one type of curl may not suit another. And then of course there’s the magic term porosity to consider. Anyway, one of the brands that she regularly finds has products to suit her hair, is Only Curls. I remember a while back how much she loved their Shampoo Bar. Well this month her fave is the Only Curls Volumising Curl Mousse and all I can say is try it and you’ll get why she raves about it!
Violet Jordan Multi-Tasker

This is genuinely the only skincare product I took on holidays with me this Summer. When luggage space is of the essence, then the Multitasker is a night cream, a day cream, an eye cream and a serum all wrapped up in one pretty pink tube. I love the fact that it’s not tacky and sticky and is absorbed into my skin quickly and efficiently. It’s fragrance-free so great for sensitive skin and it gets extra Brownie Points for being in a bio-plastic tube.
Taramar Skincare

I haven’t tried doing this but I’ve read in one of the ‘blurbs’ that TARAMAR skincare products are so pure, you could technically eat them! A real Skin Food I suppose. The Day Treatment moisturiser was sent to me recently and although I have genuinely loved trying the cream, I really can’t justify spending £93 on any skincare. Perhaps if I won the lottery or came into some kind of inheritance, it would be different. I suppose I can but dream …..
Taramar Day Treatment won a bronze prize as the Best Moisturizer in the UK Global Makeup Awards 2021 so is clearly a winning formula if you have the money.
Wine Unpacked

I’m a sucker for a subscription service which makes my life easier and I was pleasantly surprised by Wine Unpacked’s offering. Firstly they send you a tasting pack full of fun-size wine samples to find out what you like best. Then they choose the wines to suit your taste and send them out to you every month. It’s a great way to try out new wines and less risky than choosing your own off from the vast selection on the supermarket shelves.
DORO 6820 Mobile Phone

A little while ago we tried what was at the time a new stylish ‘flip phone’ – the 6620 from Doro. Its successor, the 6820 continues to offer a competent no-frills approach to mobile phones, with Doro’s well respected ‘emergency button’ facility.
The sound is loud and crystal-clear and the flip design allows it to be carried in the smallest of pockets / handbags. It has the added benefit of firmware updates over 4G. It has superb battery life in both stand-by and talk modes and for those who want a traditional button phone as opposed to a smartphone, you won’t do much better than the 6820. Perfect phone for my Mum!
You can take a look at some of my other Loves, Likes & Must Haves here.