REVIEW: Dr Organic Manuka Honey Shampoo & Conditioner

After bleaching & dying my hair, over & over again, for countless years, I finally put down the corrosive products & left my hair to breath.  One long year later, in a further bid to save my locks, I cut ten inches off the length, just before leaving on my travels last summer.

Although my hair is now in much better condition, I wanted to continue the good work, by investing in a natural & enriching shampoo & conditioner.  Perusing the options available, I decided to try out Dr Organic Manuka Honey Shampoo & Conditioner.

Claiming to be 'restoring', 'regenerating' & 'nourishing', they seemed perfect for me at the moment & the rich smell of honey was divine!  For once, I was actually looking forward to washing my hair!  But, oh how I was disappointed by the results.

Once fully rinsed out, my hair felt dry, like straw & not silky smooth, like I was hoping.  After naturally drying, even argan oil couldn't tame the frizz & so, up it went into a bun, where it stayed until requiring a wash again.

Downhearted, I emailed Dr Organic, to pass on my experience of their products & explain my disappointment & a few days later, I received a less than welcome response.  Their customer services department, essentially tried to tell me that, it was not their products that were the issue, but in fact my hair.  I had supposedly picked the wrong range for my hair type & that it would take time for my hair to adapt to chemical free products.

Less than impressed, I thought I would give them the benefit of the doubt & so kept using the products, in the hope that things would improve, but alas, the results remained the same.  To further prove my point, mère, who has strictly used organic, chemical free products for over twenty years, decided to try them out & she too found the results to be the same; dried out, straw like hair.

I'm afraid, on this occasion, Dr Organic have not only failed at providing products that work, but they have also failed at good customer service as well.

RECIPE: Broccoli & Sweet Potato Soup

Oh January, all the dampness of December, without the glitter of Christmas lights, to make it bearable.  Having battled the rain for the millionth time today, I can truly say, hand on heart, I cannot wait for spring!

This blasted weather makes me want to sleep in in the mornings, live in my pyjamas & spend my days wrapped up in blankets, watching classics, like Casablanca, with Mr Pig asleep beside me.  

At times like these, we all need comforting food & what better, than a hearty & simple soup, like this one:

Broccoli & Sweet Potato Soup

This delicious & simple to make soup, from the never homemaker blog, is just perfect for wet windy days.  It requires very little effort, but is tasty, healthy & warming.  The great thing is, it's easily adaptable, if you fancy changing things up & trying out your own combinations of winter vege, like using butternut squash instead of sweet potato, or peas instead of broccoli.  The combinations are endless.

What's your favourite soup?

The crumbs that surround me.

I swear there is something about The Oaks, it's like an inspiration vortex.  One month away in Reading, going on daily brisk walks through muddy fields & dense forests, salads & fruit on high consumption, the odd yoga & meditation session & an abundance of inspiration.  Now back, I can barely be inclined to arise in the morning, let alone get dressed & into a downward dog.  Nope, it's no good, my time here is very clearly done.

Flight booked, I have one week to prepare myself before returning to Italy.  First things first, making time for friends.  I've already previously discussed the importance of solid friendships.  It is always important to make time for those you love.  Not to be morbid but, none of us know how long we have & the worst thing you can do, is take each other for granted.  Regardless of anything, with my entire life surrounded around travel, I honestly don't know when I will see some of my friends again!  Better to make the most, whilst I have the opportunity.

Tomorrow I shall be heading into town to stock up on essentials; Green & Black's 70% dark chocolate, chia seeds & organic soap.  Fruit, nuts, vegetables & salad may be in abundance in Italy, but good quality, vegan friendly, affordable chocolate is surprisingly hard to find.  Don't even get me started on natural organic skincare & superfoods.  I don't even think the majority of Italians even know what a vegan is!

Of course, all this packing & itinerary planning, is taking its toll on my stress levels.  My once determined, healthy eating mind, is starting to wane & my biscuit cravings are currently at a high.  How much weight can I possibly gain in a week?!  [nibbles on another bourbon]  Get me to Italy!!!