Arbonne’s fyi (for young individuals) range

The first thing to say is that I am not in the target audience for these products, which are very much aimed at the teen market. The bright colours on the box should be enough of a giveaway but if it isn't, the name spells it out - f.y.i. = for young individuals. But I am most definitely still young at heart (so much nicer than childish !) so I was quite happy to test them out.


The whole range comes in four signature scents to be chosen depending on your mood and your personality : Vivacious, Mysterious, Flirtatious and Ambitious. As they say on the website, "If you want to learn an exciting, new language, give speak your language a thought ! f.y.i. Arbonne® Speak Your Language is an incredible line of body products —body wash, body cream, body scrub and spray fragrance — infused with four distinct aromas for the girl who wants to make a bold statement. You’ll be fluent in the arts of mystery, ambition, flirtation and vivaciousness with unique f.y.i. products that let you say what’s on your mind, without saying a word!"


Now, I love big in-your-face smells in the shower so I absolutely loved the zingy, fruity scents that really wake you up in the morning and lift your spirits after a long day at work. The four signature scents available are : Vivacious - "Lively notes of coconut, pineapple, passion fruit and guava create an irresistible fragrance that's sure to draw an entourage", Mysterious - "Blackberries and pomegranates are dark, mystical fruits sought after for their intoxicating and unique aroma", Flirtatious - "With origins from exotic lands and a reputation for sweetness, the unique scent of grapefruit and mango invokes feelings of fun and playfulness", and Ambitious -"The dynamic scent of green tea and clover stimulates the senses, leaving you feeling refreshed and energized".


First of all, I tested Vivacious Wash & Wear Body Wash. The website says, "You won’t want to leave the shower. Wash&Wear Body Wash leaves skin ultra clean and carries an irresistible scent you can wash up with and wear out the door." It did leave me feeling incredibly refreshed and in a good mood, but my skin didn't feel as moisturised as it does with some shower gels. I would have liked the scent to linger on my skin for longer after I'd dried off too, but you could boost the perfume by smothering yourself in the matching body cream or spray fragrance afterwards. My one little niggle is that you have to squeeze the bottle quite hard to get any product out !


Next up was Flirtatious Sugarslush Body Scrub. "Sweeten your skin’s appeal with this sugar slush of jojoba beads and gentle exfoliants that foam up and sweep away dirt. Skin is left with a glowing, cashmere-soft finish." In the tub, it seemed a bit runny to me and on the skin, it was nowhere near as abrasive or scratchy as some other body scrubs I've used, which isn't necessarliy a good thing if it's supposed to be exfoliating. But, I reminded myself, this range is targetted at teens who presumably don't need so much exfoliating power to get babysoft skin. I'd define it as more of a shower gel with exfoliating properties than an intensive exfoliaiting scrub.
Before I even got into the shower, one thing that did bother me was the amount of excess packaging. Each tube or tub comes in a superfluous cardboard box and also contains a foldout leaflet with instructions in various languages. By eliminating the box and the leaflet, that would mean a lot less waste - especially as each product is perfectly sealed with a foil covering to be removed before use. (I actually spent a couple of minutes squeezing the body wash in vain before realising this !)
The list of ingredients on the box contains some dubious-sounding ingredients, such as Polyethelene, Disodium Laureth Sulfosuccinate, Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate and some artificial colours (Red 30 (Cl 73360), Yellow 5 Lake (Cl 19140), Red 30 Lake (Cl 73360), Iron Oxides (Cl 77499). But to offset this, there are also some nice natural ingredients, including fruit and flower extracts. When you see some of the brightly-coloured and artificial-tasting sweets and drinks that teens shovel down their throats day after day, I'm sure they won't be at all bothered by a few artificial additives in their beauty products !
To conclude, the products are fun, funky and smell absolutely gorgeous. Teens will love the hidden body language messages the products suggest. While they are not as intensively moisturising or exfoliating as some other products I've tried, they do seem well suited for the young skin they are intended for. The excess packaging and some of the artificial ingredients are my only two real negatives.
star rating : 4/5
RRP : Products include Wash and wear body wash £11.50; SugarSlush Body Scrub £16; BodyBetter Body cream £17 or handbag essential Personal Space Spray Fragrance £12.50

Hovis Wholemeal Breakfast Week starts tomorrow

Hovis Wholemeal Breakfast Week launches on 12th April (ie tomorrow), fronted by Olympic Cyclist Victoria Pendleton, who -as a top athlete and having studied nutrition at University -really understands the importance of breakfast.

Victoria says “A substantial breakfast is a vital part of my training so I make sure I never skip it. I can't perform at my best either physically or mentally without a good start to the day and I would certainly not be able to achieve my long term training goals. It is easy to forget that rushing around after the family can be a workout in itself. The temptation when working to a busy schedule is to neglect yourself, but my advice would be to make the time for a healthy and filling breakfast like 2 slices of Hovis Wholemeal Toast with a light spreading of peanut butter topped with a sliced banana to help you avoid turning to unhealthy snacks before lunch."

Research was conducted ahead of the Hovis Wholemeal Breakfast Week and revealed that "British mums are on the go for an average of three hours every day before they have even reached work. Cramming in a range of activities such as ironing, making the bed and styling their children’s hair means that working mums are on the go from the moment they get up, with 60% of women admitting that their day is well underway by 7am, and rarely slows until they go to bed just before 11pm. Indeed, the average working mum uses around 500 calories simply undertaking her pre-work chores and getting the family ready, the equivalent to over one hour on a bike!

Alarmingly, despite their action-packed schedules, a quarter of working mums (25%) admit that they regularly forgo breakfast; whilst 59% of those that eat it, spend less than five minutes doing so and 32% don’t even sit down. Despite many missing breakfast themselves, British mums are spending an average of 18 minutes preparing breakfast or lunch for their families before work. It would appear that British mums really don’t have time for themselves, with the average spending just over six minutes on her own make-up in the morning and instead put the family first, spending 28 minutes dressing their children, styling their hair and helping them to clean their teeth."

Sounds just like me - a quick swig of orange juice or an Actimel and I grab a banana or a cereal bar to eat at the bus stop as I head out of the door at 7am, despite telling the girls they can't go to school on an empty stomach. Definitely a case of Do as I say, not as I do, I'm afraid !

"Almost half of mums (48%) cite a lack of time as a reason to skip breakfast, whilst almost one in seven do so to lose weight. Of all the women questioned 86% admitted snacking in the morning in a bid to stave off hunger, with 44% of the snacks they were turning to being unhealthy such as cakes or pastries, crisps , chocolate bars, and biscuits.

Hovis nutritionist Lindsey Ormond, warns against the perils of going to work on an empty stomach, saying “With the average mum on the go for three hours before work, a healthy, filling breakfast is even more important. Skipping breakfast could mean they are more likely to snack on something unhealthy mid morning in order to keep them going. Many mums do have to keep an eye on the clock in the morning, but factoring in an extra five minutes to eat a couple of slices of wholemeal toast would certainly help power their morning. Not only is wholemeal bread low in fat and sugars, but it is also high in fibre which helps you feel fuller for longer so you may be less likely to reach for those unhealthy snacks.” "

For more healthy breakfast ideas and further information about Hovis Wholemeal Breakfast Week, log on to www.hovisbakery.co.uk.

Slim.Fast's new 3.2.1 weight loss plan

Now call me a child of the 80's but when I hear the words 3.2.1, I think of that cheesy old game show that was a regular part of my Saturday evening TV entertainment when I was a kid ! I still remember Dusty Bin, the mascot of the show (who represented the booby prize of a new dustbin !). As Wikipedia says, "Although the show did not rely on catchphrases in the traditional sense, Ted Rogers would regularly make a lightning fast 3-2-1 hand gesture. This became an important gimmick of the show - and a school playground favourite - mainly because it was quite difficult to do, and resulted in a rude hand gesture if performed incorrectly. The correct way of doing the gesture is to hold up three fingers (index, middle, and ring), facing inward; two (index and middle) facing outward; and then one (index) facing inward, turning your hand as you change your fingers." Yes, sad as it may seem, we really did spend hours running around the playground trying to master it !



But enough of going off on a nostalgic tangent ! This review has nothing to do with dustbins or rude hand gestures ! 3.2.1 is the name of the new weight loss and weight management plan unveiled by Slim.Fast. That's 3 snacks, 2 meal replacements and 1 sensible meal per day.




As soon as you say the words Slim.Fast, most people will automatically think of the powdered shakes. They were the original Slim.Fast product and, despite the pale imitations (which is a nice way of saying cheap copies !) made by numerous other companies now, they remain very popular. When you're on the go and don't always have time to make up a fresh shake or have access to a fridge, they also come in a range of ready-to-drink bottles too. I was aware of this but thought they still had just the boring standard flavours of strawberry, chocolate or vanilla. Well, the usual suspects are still there but there are some really surprisingly different and delicious options available too - café latte, blissful banana, lemon meringue, raspberry crush, fruits of the forest ... Boredom is one of the big reasons people give up weight loss plans but with that many different flavours, it shouldn't be an issue. They also have Smoothies - a blend of fruit and yoghurt - that not only fit into the weight loss plan but count as one of your five-a-day portions of fruit.

For those who don't like milk or prefer to have something solid to munch on so that they feel they've really eaten a meal, there are also a range of meal replacement bars available. Just make sure you don't mix up the meal bars and the snack bars, as the packaging looks very similar ! They taste just like normal cereal bars but are amazingly satisfying and really do fill you up. They're perfect for when you need to eat lunch on the go - every Tuesday, I only have 50 minutes for lunch break and I have to change schools in between plus deal with paperwork and photocopies. I've been eating a quick sandwich while walking between schools but it's not particularly practical and the sandwich always gets squished in my bag under a pile of textbooks. These meal replacement bars are absolutely ideal on both counts.

The new and surprising element of the 3.2.1 plan is the number of snacks you can eat. As they explain on the website, "You replace 2 meals a day with a Slim·Fast meal replacement (shake or meal bar), your third meal should be a healthy, nutritious meal of 600 calories for a female and 800 calories for a male. In addition you can have up to 3 snacks of under 100 calories per day, this can be fruits, vegetables or one of our range of Slim·Fast snacks. In total the plan provides between 1200-1400 calories per day. In addition, you should drink around 2 litres of water per day, and also get some exercise."

The snacks are so delicious, it's hard to believe they're part of a calorie-controlled weight loss programme ! If you've got a sweet tooth, you can choose from a Cranberry, Almond and Raisin Bar, a Chocolate Peanut Bar or a tasty and gooey Chocolate Caramel bar - yes, really ! If you're fed up of sweet things and want to go for a savoury option, you have the choice of Cheddar Bites or Sour Cream and Chive Pretzels (just don't do a George W Bush and choke on one !). They taste really yummy and if they didn't have the Slim.Fast name on the bag, I'd never have believed they were low-calorie.

I could go into details of nutritional information and the number of calories per product but the whole point of the programme is that you don't have to, they've done it all for you. As long as you complete the plan with a sensible low-fat dinner each evening (or lunchtime - whatever fits in with your lifestyle), you'll be covering all your essential vitamins and minerals while following the plan.


A recent survey by Slim.Fast discovered that UK women waste a staggering £32,186,000 on clothes that don’t fit. "Shocking new research released today has revealed that the average woman has £200 worth of unworn clothes gathering dust in her wardrobe, equating to four times more than the average household spends on food in a week. The survey of 2000 British women was conducted by Slim.Fast and showed that 80% of women keep clothes that are too small for them in the hope that they will fit into them again “one day”. Over a quarter of those surveyed have purposely bought clothes that do not fit as an incentive to diet, but have never reached their target. The study revealed that nearly 50% of people have 10 or more items of clothing in their wardrobe that they cannot bear to part with, including on average 4 pairs of jeans, 2 little black dresses, 2 bikinis, 1 skirt and 1 boob tube. 53% of women have clothes in their wardrobes that span 3 or more different dress sizes." Well, I have to admit to being one of them, all my pre-pregnancy clothes are still in the wardrobe !

The 3.2.1 plan is so flexible and easy to stick to that it's got to be worth a go. It will work out a lot cheaper than buying a whole new wardrobe too, so in these credit crunch times that's got to be a good thing !

star rating : 5/5

Nestlé 99 Calorie Biscuit Range

For those who want to control their weight in a sensible way and avoid faddy diets, the key words are portion control - you can each pretty much what you want in sensible amounts. Eating one chocolate out of the box or a sneaky bag on chips on a Friday night won't kill you or make you obese, but you have to be reasonable in the quantities.

That's where the newly relaunched Nestlé choccie bars come in because whichever one you choose (yes, you can only have one, if you're supposed to be on a diet - don't be a pig !!), you don't have to spend ages in the supermarket aisle comparing the microscopic print of the nutritional information. They all contain 99 calories so the choice is yours - Breakaway, Drifter, Toffee Crisp or Blue Riband.

The new kid on the block in the 99 Calorie Biscuit Range is Blue Riband Dark - yep, you've guessed it. They've taken a normal Blue Riband and replaced the usual milk chocolate with smooth, dark chocolate.

Joanne Coxon, Assistant Brand Manager for Nestlé Biscuits says: “We are very proud to introduce Blue Riband Dark to our well-loved existing range of 99 Calorie biscuits. The new launch is part of Nestlé’s commitment to give families choice when selecting great tasting treats. The 99 Calorie biscuit range not only delivers on taste but they are perfectly portioned to be enjoyed as part of varied, balanced diets.”

If you're used to eating bigger, non-calorie counted bars, the 99 calorie bars will seem a bit on the small side to you but that's what it's all about. We all need re-educating about what the correct portion sizes are in a perfectly balanced, healthy diet. They are just the right size for a chocolate fix when you're trying to eat healthily and are also perfect for kids' lunchboxes, especially as they contain no artificial colours, flavours or preservatives.

They haven't compromised on taste at all. They still taste exactly as I remember them from my youth, so if I can have a dose of nostalgia (not to mention chocolate !) for a mere 99 calories, it's definitely a winner in my eyes.

star rating : 4/5

RRP :

- Blue Riband - 6 pack (RRP £1), 9 pack (RRP £1.29), 18 pack (RRP £1.99)
- Breakaway - 6 pack (RRP £1), 9 pack (RRP £1.29), 18 pack (RRP £1.99)
- Drifter - 8 pack (RRP £1.29)
- Toffee Crisp - 7 pack (RRP £1.29)
- Blue Riband Dark – 9 pack (RRP £1.29)

Neom Luxury Organics Miniature Treatment Candles

The tone is immediately set on the website : "Forget everything you know about candles. Forget everything you know about bath oils and body products... at NEOM we have created the most incredibly powerful, organic range of luxury bath & home products that all work as treatments to make you feel more relaxed, more energised or even just a whole lot happier - depending on the treatment you choose. Carefully blending only the finest organic ingredients and the highest concentration of essential oils, we have created the most beautiful scents that fill your room with mood enhancing treats." Well, that's quite a lot to live up to but as they assure us, "With every single Neom product, we always keep our promise".

Well, I have to say, as soon as I opened the parcel, I was impressed. The "miniature" candle - I had visions of a tealight-sized candle but it's nowhere near as small as the name suggests ! - is packed in a sturdy white and gold cardboard box so it's guaranteed to arrive in pristine condition. The name - Tranquility - sounded exactly what I needed, as it's the kids' holidays and things have been more than a bit hectic around here this week. As I pulled the lid off the box, wow ! The divine scent hit me immediately - it's an indescribable but absolutely gorgeous smell. I closed my eyes and could imagine lying in a warm relaxing bath with all my stress soaking away. Wow, it's having the destress effect already and I haven't even lit it yet ! Just smelling it in the box made me feel totally zen and chilled out.

Intrigued about the wonderful scent, I investigated the box : "Treatment : English Lavender, Sweet Basil & Jasmine is a de-stressing scent that has been blended to help you relax and refocus. Perfect for quiet times or the pre-bedtime wind-down." Sounds like bliss - and it was ! Unlike some candles, that smell wonderful when not lit but whose fragrance all but disappears when they burn, the gorgeous fragrance filled the whole bedroom with a strong but not overpowering wonderful scent that even my husband commented on when he came up to bed. (I'd been reading in a little cocoon of serenity and zenitude !)

You can just tell from the scent that these candles are made with high quality, natural ingredients. The NEOM promise is "seriously effective high grade essential oils used to create products with treatment benefits plus skin smoothing & nourishing results. No petrochemicals, parabens, PEGS, silicone, SLS or synthetic fragrances – in fact no nasty chemicals whatsoever". I had noticed that these candles burned very cleanly - there was no smoke and no black sooty residue on the side of the glass, as there is with some candles. The website explains : "NEOM Luxury Organics Mini Treatment Candles are made using only natural vegetable wax and 100% pure essential oils rather than synthetic fragrances. Unlike paraffin wax candles (that's the majority on sale) they burn without releasing harmful pollutants, toxins or soot, working holistically to make you feel even better."

The Neom candles, which come as miniature 75g candles with a burn time of 25 hours, or huge 1kg three-wicked candles that burn for 55 hours, were the first product launched back in 2005 and now have a scent library of 12 scents, all of which sound absolutely divine - Tranquillity: Calming, Serenity: Peace & Calm, Sumptuous: Comfort & Indulge, Complete Bliss: Happiness, Revitalise: Sharpen the Mind, Restore: Inspire, Relax: Time to Unwind, Real Luxury: Pamper Yourself, Invigorate: Liven the Soul, Refresh: Energy Boost, Pure Indulgence: Uplifting, Rebalance: De-Stress.

As mums all over the world know, it's often hard to get any me-time or serious pampering without packing the kids off to the grandparents for a sleepover, but Neom products really will help you feel totally refreshed and destressed without setting a foot out of the door. Forget babysitters and spa days and go for a DIY holistic treatment at home. I am actually looking forward to getting the kids off to bed and scuttling off to light my candle and read again tonight ! It's as relaxing as a lovely warm bath but you can share the experience with all the occupants of the room !

star rating : 5/5

RRP : £12 for the miniature candles, £35 for the three-wick candles

SPAM !

Ahh good old SPAM - it's one of those products, just like Marmite, that a large percentage of the British population love to hate ! It's so notorious that Monty Python even dedicated a whole sketch to it. The modern-day "tribute" is that frequent unsollicited messages by email or in internet chatrooms are called spam (although I still have no idea why !). Although generations of kids in post-war Britain were probably sick to death of eating SPAM (because it was pretty much the only meat that was available and cheap enough for mums to buy at the time), it's actually had a bit of a makeover and is quite trendy again. There's even an annual SPAM Cook of the Year competition, backed by none other than the cheeky chef Phil Vickery.



In the spirit of the competition, and to give you an idea of just how versatile SPAM is, I've come up with a couple of quick recipes to tickle your tastebuds ! (But there are many more on the SPAM website.)

First up, one for the kids :



Turtle-tastic SPAMwiches


Ingredients (per turtle):

1 pitta bread
2 tbsp mayonnaise or cream cheese
1 slice SPAM
1/2 apple
1 lettuce leaf
2 raisins


In a bowl, finely chop the apple and SPAM, mix in the cream cheese or mayonnaise (to stick it all together) and put in the fridge to chill.


Gently toast the pitta bread then (as quick as you can so it stays slightly warm), cut in half widthways. Cut a 1cm strip off one pitta pouch and chop the strip in half (to make the feet). Use the lettuce to line the pitta bread so it doesn't go soggy then stuff both pouches with the SPAM filling.


Stand the two pitta pouches up on a plate next to each other, use a tiny amount of mayonnaise or cream cheese to stick raisin eyes on the smaller pouch (the head). Place the four pitta feet around the turtle.


And one for the grown ups :


Hawaiian SPAMelloni


Ingredients :

1 tin SPAM
3 slices pineapple, fresh or tinned
1 clove garlic, peeled and crushed (or 1 tbsp Very Lazy Garlic)
1 onion
3 big mushrooms
cannelloni
cheese sauce (home made or from a packet - the choice is yours !)
grated cheese
salt, pepper
1 chilli, deseeded or pinch chilli powder (optional)
2 tbsp olive oil


Preheat the oven.


Chop the SPAM, pineapple, onion and mushrooms into fairly small pieces.


Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan. Gently fry the onions and garlic for 2 minutes, add the mushrooms, cook for a further 2 minutes, add the spam, cook for 3 minutes, add the pineapple and cook for a further 5 minutes.


Make up the cheese sauce, from scratch or using the instructions on the packet.


Use the SPAM mixture to fill the cannelloni and place the filled tubes in an ovenproof dish. Pour a generous amount of cheese sauce over the top. (If you haven't got enough to totally cover the cannelloni, they won't cook properly so add a bit of milk or cream.)


Cook in the oven on 180° or until the cannelloni are cooked through (pierce with a knife and it should go through easily).


For more information or to take part in the SPAM Cook of the Year competition, go to http://www.spam-uk.com/

My Sole Mates - Wellies With Wedge Heels

When I saw the words "wellies with heels" on the My Sole Mates website, I thought they were having a laugh ! Wellies with heels ? No kidding ?! But as you can see from the picture, they really do exist ! While I've seen some pretty funky, floral, designer wellies on the feet of festival-going celebs, these are the first wellies I've ever seen that come with a flatteringly feminine wedge heel. This is the first time I've drooled over wellies since seeing green wellies with frog eyes on the toes when I was about 6 years old !! The only question is, which colour to go for ? Fuchsia or navy blue ?

But looking around on the website, that's not all they have to offer. There are also some really funky gladiator sandals that would be perfect for the summer, if the sun decides to put in an appearance - although you'll end up with a dodgy brown and white suntan pattern on your feet if you wear them all summer long !

Now call me a child of the 80's but I also got all nostalgic and wistful when I saw these pink jelly shoes too - they take me back to my youth !

Yeo Valley Organic Little Yeo's yoghurts

As the name suggests, Madhouse Family Reviews is very much a group effort. Just because he's only 8 months old, Pierre doesn't get away with not testing things so this time, he was in the hot seat, reviewing Yeo Valley "Little Yeo's" yoghurts !

According to the Yeo Valley website, "Developed for children from as young as six months, our 6 pack of deliciously creamy yogurts is perfect for weaning. Our organic whole milk yogurt has a thick and creamy texture that stays on the spoon, to avoid any messy moments !" Well, it certainly does stay on the spoon but if you've got a baby determined to eat like a piglet - like Pierre, whose big joke at the moment (along with throwing things on the floor) is spitting out his food and laughing - there's no way you'll avoid messy moments however well the stuff stays on the spoon !

They continue, "The small pot size (55g) makes them ideal for smaller appetites whilst also helping to reduce waste." This may be true for 6 month olds but Pierre wolfs them down two at a time ! "Our creamy organic probiotic yogurt is combined with smooth organic fruit purees to give yogurt flavours that are great for developing young children's palettes. And even better... our new recipe has no added sugar! The yogurts in our 6 pack are sweetened only with concentrated fruit juice, so are just perfect for weaning your baby." I was actually a bit dubious about the no added sugar recipe but I was really surprised and would never have known if you hadn't told me. "Boasting just six natural ingredients and no artificial sweeteners, colourings or preservatives, our Little Yeo's contain just simple organic goodness that will put a big smile on everyone's face !" Well, that's certainly true - while Pierre was the chief tester, the girls and myself also had a little lick of the lid (and the spoon when things got a bit too messy !) and we all thought they tasted really nice, creamy and fruity and would have been quite happy to finish off the pots.

Which we would have done given half the chance but Pierre, despite only having one word in his vocabulary ("dadada" !) told us exactly what he thought by eating the whole lot, two pots at a time, then crying for more ! I guess that's a thumb up then ?! Thumbs up from me too, for the healthy, sugar-free and above all delicious recipe.

Another plus point for Little Yeo's is their website, which was launched at the same time as the new sugar-free yoghurts and which offers, amongst other things, an online guide for childhood nutrition and fun and interactive games for children. If you're worried about what to feed your kids, especially if you're new to weaning and don't know where to begin, it's a mine of information. "Offering practical guidance for parents new to weaning as well as nutritional advice for parents of toddler and pre-school ages, the new site aims to offer a quick, one-stop factual resource for busy parents concerned about childhood nutrition and allows users to ask an expert nutritionist about any issues or questions that they may have." It's reassuring to see that it has been created in conjunction with expert nutritionist Sarah Bernard.

So what do you think then Pierre ? "Dadada" ! Well, we'll have to assume he's a baby genius and is actually saying "yes yes yes" in Russian !

star rating : 5/5

Book review : Venom - Joan Brady

The opening chapters of this book made my head spin ! Within a few pages, we jump from Illinois to Belarus to Alabama to Washington DC to London and various points in between. We meet hitmen, beekeepers, aid workers, ex crims, old ladies, radiation experts and corporate bigwigs. As the book is only just beginning, we don't know who or what is important so we have to try to keep track of everyone and everything. It's like trying to untangle separate threads in a huge pot of spaghetti and see which ends are tied together and which strands are totally separate. However alert you're feeling, it can get pretty confusing, so reading this book in bed just before shutting down for the night gave me a few problems keeping up with the narrative.

Had I read Joan Brady's previous novel, Bleedout, I would have known from the outset that the ones to watch were David Marion (the hardened criminal fresh out of jail) and Helen Freyl (radiation physicist and owner of a honey bee farm) and it would have surely been much easier to follow. But Venom does work fine as a stand-alone novel and I didn't even realise it was a sequel until I started doing some research to write the review.

So what is Venom about ? To quote the blurb on the back of the book, "Venom brings David and Helen together as they fight for survival against a backdrop of industrial espionage, corporate greed and human tragedy." Add in an against-all-odds love story, mysterious hidden basements, gory murders of anyone who touches on the truth, secret organisations and Chernobyl victims and you have a lot going on !

The basic story is nevertheless straightforward. Helen's bees produce a special venom that can create a cure for cancer and repair the damage caused by radiation. In an ideal world, the answer is simple - the drug needs to be manufactured and sent out to those who need it most, starting in Belarus. But we don't live in an ideal world and money and power are much more important than easing human suffering. As the book unfolds, we come to realise just how far this greed will go. As Helen and David start to unravel the truth, they end up running for their lives but can never be sure just who the baddies are that are after them.

It's fast-paced, action-packed and - once I'd worked out who was who and how they all tied together - totally unputdownable. If, like me, you find it hard to get into, I recommend you don't give up - if you can battle through the first third of the book, things do settle down and start slotting together and then you've got a real pageturner in your hands.

star rating : 4/5

RRP : £12.99

Paperback: 400 pages
Publisher: Simon & Schuster (4 Feb 2010)
ISBN-10: 0743267907
ISBN-13: 978-0743267908

Snazaroo Face and Body Painting Kits

Last night, 8-year-old Sophie invited a friend over for her first ever sleepover. As it's the holidays and I'm getting to spend some quality time with the kids, we went all out for the perfect girlie pyjama party : DVD in pyjamas, bowl of popcorn, nail varnish, facepaints ! Hang on, did somebody say facepaints ? Oh blimey, I have a go at Halloween (using the contents of my makeup bag !) but the finished design never looks as good as the "professional" facepaints at summer fetes and playdays ! Oh well, I can but try !

Luckily, Snazaroo, "the world's favourite face and body paints", had kindly sent me a selection of face paint kits to review so now was the perfect time to try them out. The kits come in various sizes, from three-colour themed kits that have enough face paint to do ten faces in one popular design (for example, butterfly, clown, camouflage, dizzy dog, Dracula ...) to bigger palette kits, which is what I broke open for the sleepover. As you can see in the picture at the beginning of this review, it contains everything you need to get started : face paints, glitter gel face paints, brushes, sponges, a booklet of ideas and advice ... The website explains : "This Snazaroo Face Painting Kit can paint up to 60 faces. A really comprehensive kit containing a paint palette with 2ml Black, White, Red, Bright Yellow, Grass Green and Sky Blue, and a glitter palette with Sparkle Pink, Sparkle Orange and 4 different glitter gel colours, together with 3 brushes, 4 sponges and a 28-page face painting guide. Perfect for children's parties." At £13.99, it seems a really good value set because it really has got everything you need for the most popular designs that kids of both sexes choose.

So, how did it go ? Well, I'll let you judge for yourselves with the photos below but I was quite chuffed and the girls were well impressed. You just need a little water to work the paints into a smooth paste-like texture and you're away. The colours don't run or streak, they cover the skin really well with vivid, pretty colours and you can even blend them if you need various shades (for example, for a camouflage face, when one green and brown won't be enough). The girls loved the glittery colours and the glitter gels, which look much more impressive in real life than in the photos. Huge smiles all round !

Rachel, Sophie's friend, has sensitive skin so her mum told her to apply face cream before putting on the face paints. I wasn't sure how they would stick to her face after that and had visions of them sliding off her chin (!), but it worked absolutely fine and she had absolutely no reactions whatsoever. Having checked on the website, they say that "the company's emphasis on quality and safety - all paints comply to the strictest toy and cosmetic regulations, are water-based, easy to apply and remove - has inspired huge brand loyalty over the years."

I handed out Johnson's facial cleansing wipes when it was time to get ready for bed and the face paints came off really easily - no need for rubbing hard and repeatedly rinsing with a facecloth, as is the usual rigmarole when the girls have had their faces painted when we're out and about. The only bit that was hard to get off was the remnants of glitter in their hairlines and eyebrows but they were quite happy to keep a few glittery reminders on their face until morning anyway !

I love the huge variety of products on offer. As well as the usual face paints, you can buy a Special FX kit which would be absolutely fantastic for Halloween as it contains gel blood, face paint and Special FX sculpting wax - "everything your kids need to create the illusion of broken fingers, scars and scabs" ! Another one that is sure to go down well when the World Cup kicks off is the Supporters' Face Paint Kit that contains eight colours that will allow you to create the majority of the World Cup contesters' flags. I can see the dads having fun with that one !

Now I've seen how easy it is to get impressive results, I won't hesitate to drag out the face paints the next time we're holding a kids' party. It's also a great way to keep the kids entertained during the school holidays and it's so easy, you could even enjoy some quality time together and let them paint your face too !


star rating : 5/5

RRP : kits start at £3.49

for more information : http://www.snazaroo.com/