Dove Invisible Dry 48h Anti-Perspirant Deodorant Compressed 75ml - Review

I very first tried this as Bzz Agent.
I received a couple of cans and several money-off coupons to distribute.
Although I received this product for free, you will find my honest opinion.

I kept a can for myself and gave the other to a friend of mine.
We both loved it for different reasons.

What does Dove says ?

Something big (or should we say ‘small’) is happening to Dove deodorants... They have compressed the same amount of protection and care into a little can half the size! That’s right, after years of development and testing, Dove have managed to change the deodorant’s nozzle so that it sprays out less gas whilst still delivering exactly the same amount of antiperspirant and ¼ moisturising cream. Giving you all the care and protection you expect from Dove, just in a little can half the size.

What do I think ?

Ariel 3in1 pods - A review

The Savvy Circle was running a campaign on Ariel 3in1 pods.
I have been using Ariel pods for colours for a few years but always stuck to my non-bio washing tabs from another brand for white.
This was a good opportunity to try the new Ariel. 
One claim is the new brightening power. 
Can I ditch my expensive soft-bleach for keeping whites white and bright ?

So what does Ariel says about the new pods ?

Small is powerful

Ariel 3in1 Pods are Ariel’s most concentrated detergent ever – at only 28ml each and use 40% less packaging than Ariel liquid detergents, so are more environmentally friendly too. 
How do they deliver such mighty cleaning power we hear you ask? Well, it’s down to their unique combination of new technologies:

Green – Cleans your clothes
A super compact detergent, reinforced by the inclusion of new ‘cleaning active boosters’, to help the detergent reach the dirt quicker.

White – Lifts stains off your clothes
A unique cocktail of six enzymes designed to combat a large spectrum of everyday stains.

Blue – Brightens your clothes 
Thanks to the revolutionary three compartments, meaningful combinations of the right ingredients are released at just the right time to deliver outstanding brightness for your laundry.

What do I think ?

How did I try it ?

The Savvy Circle sent me a full-size box of the new Classic Ariel 3in1 pods (16 washes), an information booklet, 10 samples to give to friends, a report booklet with detachable surveys to accompany the samples and a few money off coupon.




The Classic version is best suited for whites. 
I therefore tried it on : 
- "White" tea-towels (heavily stained)
- Cream bath sheets 
- White bedlinen
- White shower curtain

How convenient is it ?

This is what I used to do with tea-towels : Spray the stains with stain remover, add a couple of powder tabs to the draw, fill a measuring ball with 100ml of soft-bleach to add to the drum and add a sanitizer to the draw.
For the bed-linen, a simpler combination of powder tabs, conditioner and soft-bleach.

If Ariel delivers on its brightening and stain-lifting promises; the effort is dramatically reduced ! 
Pop a pod in the drum, add some conditioner to the draw and wait for the washing machine to complete the cycle ;-)

How did it fare on stains ?

Unfortunately, not that great. 
Some of the stains disapeared but many persisted (albeit lighter).
I tried to give it another chance as my shower curtain developed mould patches during my time out of the country.

I used to wash the shower curtain every 4 weeks or so. Ariel has really not done much for the mould here; despite the fact it was washed on the longest 60c cycle.
Not impressed so far !

What about the brightening power ?

As far as my bed-linen are concerned, I am adopting Ariel without hesitation.
I haven't washed the sheets often enough to notice the difference but they sure came out feeling really clean and fresh whilst looking bright and light.
I am happy to trust Ariel on their brightening claims here.

How does it smell ?

Fresh but really too strong.
The Ariel fragrance over-powers my favourite conditioner .
As I washed the sheets a couple of days before a trip away, and only changed the bed on my return.
Not only the linen had been sitting, folded in the draw for over 10 days but after a further 3 days of use, the bed still offered this over-powering smell of laundry detergent.


This may be good news for some, but I miss the soothing smell of my conditioner.

Any surprises ?

Yes, Yes and Yes !
I certainly didn't expect this and Ariel never came up with the easy-iron argument but my bed linen has never been so easy to iron.
Ironing the duvet cover took a third less time than usual !
For this reason alone, I am adopting Ariel for the bed-linen without hesitation.

My final verdict ?

I am unfortunately not impressed by the stain removing power and will keep on using my old and trusted method.
I wish the smell wasn't quite as strong, but that's my personal opinion.
On the other hand; I would never dream of using anything else for bed-linens, I love the reduced ironing time; the new Ariel 3in1 pods is definitely replacing my old products for bed-linens.

All things taken into consideration, I can only give Ariel 3in1 pods two different ratings :
- Stained whites : 1 out of 5
- White bed-linen : 4 out of 5

Disclaimer:I recieved the product for free as part of a SuperSavvyMe campaign. However, this post has not been sponsored or endorsed by the PR or manufacturing company of the product.  All words and opinions are my own. 

Dyson DC38 Vacuum Cleaner - Review + competition

My old Miele vacuum gave its last breath after a good 10 or 15 years !

I realised that Argos was selling an extensive range of Dyson and decided to go for bag-less.

The Dyson should last as long my old vacuum if not longer.

Furthermore; it combines quality, design and practicality.

Looking at the specs and prices; I set my eyes on the Dyson DC38 Multi-floor it was on offer (£50 less, bringing the price down to

£249.99 ;-) )

Which features was I instantly attracted by ?

- Suitable for all kinds of floors (I do intend to replace the old carpet by wooden floor at some point!)
- Really compact (Perfect for us City Dwellers with restricted storage space)
- Easy to manoeuvre (Thanks to the ball technology)
- Easy to empty (A simple press of a button)

What was included in the box ?

- The stunningly designed and compact vacuum
- A super-light hose and telescopic handle
- The flat-out (super slim) floor-head
- The stair-tool (Also great for sofa, mattresses etc)
- The combination tool (A nozzle that converts to brush tool for dusting)

How did it clean ?

I first tried it out on the carpet : as you can see from the picture, the carpet was pretty grubby.
I also had spilt some powdered milk around the bin, it had been sitting there for a couple of days and was deeply encrusted into the carpet.
The Dyson allowed me to clean the sitting room and get rid of a lot of dirt in no time !
The suction power seemed excellent when put the test on encrusted dust. (see pictures below)




One of my pet hate used to be skirting board, I never had the right tool to do it with the old vacuum and
had to use a dusting cloth.
Thanks to the combination nozzle, I didn't have to bend down on my knees to clean the skirting anymore.
Goodbye Cinderella ;-)

Finally, I put the stair tool up to the test.
Living in a flat in West London, I do not have stairs to look after.
However, this little accessory looked just perfect to give my sofa a little refresh.
I also used it on the bed mattress.

Cleaning the powdered milk

How did it perform ?

One of the advertised feature was a reduced noise level.
It is less noisy than my old vacuum indeed ! However do not expect a noise-free vacuum cleaner quite yet.

Mr Dyson, when are you coming up with a silent vacuum ?

The one feature delivered as promised is the lightweight and manoeuvrability.
It is one of the lightest vacuum I ever came across, fantastic if you have to leg the vacuum up and down stairs.
And is just as easy to pull around, you barely feel it moving.

Another great point of the Dyson DC38 is the super slim floor head.
I can easily clean underneath the sofa and bed without having to move furnitures around.
Thank you Dyson for such a great invention !

What about allergies ?
I am slightly allergic to dust mites.
Not enough to use a special mattress and pillow protection but enough that I really need to vacuum the pillows and mattress every week.
I tend to wake up with a runny nose otherwise.
I felt better than usual waking up in the morning; Dyson seems to do a good job at removing dustmites.

How easy was it to use ?

It took no time to assemble all the parts together.
The parts click on and off very easily.

It is just as easy to operate : the buttons are restricted to an on & off switch, a power cord retraction switch and a press button to release the dust reservoir.

One of the downside I have found is the length of the power cord.
I used to be able to vacuum the whole corridor in one go. With this new Dyson, I have to move to another power outlet half way through.
I suppose this is the small price to pay for such a compact vacuum though.
The total length of the cord is 5 metres.

Emptying the reservoir couldn't be any easier. (see picture above)
Press the button on the vacuum to unlock the reservoir.
Bring it over to the bin and press the second button to release the bottom.

Freshly cleaned carpet

What about the cost ?

At a RRP of £299, reduced to £249 in Argos at the moment; it doesn't come cheap !
However, most bag-less vacuum rely on you having to replace the filter every so often.
The filter in the Dyson DC38 is washable.
Clean it under running water once a month; let it dry for 24 hours … the difference in price to other brands is quickly made up.
Besides, Dyson guarantees the product for 5 years.
According to a few friends, a Dyson will easily last 3 times as long as the guarantee.

Of course, there are cheaper options, still within the Dyson range and with the same reliability of the brand.
You can see the whole range at Argos

A full reservoir after cleaning the whole flat !

By filling the Rafflecopter below; you will get a chance to win £25 Argos voucher.

This can be redeemed against any Dyson product from Argos or to buy any item of your choice.

a Rafflecopter giveaway ThePrizeFinder - UK Competitions
Superlucky blog - Competitions listing
Loquax competition forum and listing

Disclaimer: This post was made in association with Argos.

However, I have not received financial compensation for this.

All words and opinions are my own

Grilled stuffed mushrooms - Recipe (with Quark)

I am thrilled to announce this was my winning entry in a Quark recipe competition.


A fab dinner party starter. Lay them on a bed of salad and enjoy.
Easy to make and more importantly, really quick !
I have replaced the cream with Quark, which is higher in protein and virtually fat free.
Do bear in mind the mushrooms are also stuffed with blue cheese, so not that low-cal ;-)

Here is the recipe:

Win a family ticket to the Dungeon in London, York or Edinburgh

The Dungeon has moved to Southbank in London.

Read my review here :
http://hussylondonhousewife.blogspot.com/2013/08/what-to-do-with-kids-london-dungeon.html

To win your own chance to scare the family, enter the Rafflecopter below :

a Rafflecopter giveaway


ThePrizeFinder - UK Competitions
Superlucky blog - Competitions listing
Loquax competition forum and listing

What to do with the kids ? - The London Dungeon visit and your chance to win a family ticket for the Dungeon (London, York or Edinburgh)

Last week I visited the London Dungeon for the first time since it moved from the old London Bridge location.
My last visit must be around 10 years back now ! And the Dungeon has changed quite a bit.







The idea is still a "Horrible History" lesson on London from the Great Plague to 1783, where you will plunge to your own death after being sentenced to hanging!
Each of the experience / room present a show with a live actor : 18 in total !

So what is it all about ?

You will start your descent into the murky past of London through the Leper's lift.
The Leper will welcome you to the Dungeon and to his lift.
After learning a bit about leprosy; if you are lucky, you will arrive at Thames River Dock.
But will you survive the ride or fear will be taking over you ?
(During our visit; 2 children had to be removed from the Dungeon !)

Quark & Bacon Souffle - Recipe (Economical recipe)

Do not be put off my making soufflé.
The picture-perfect ones you will find in books are no guarantee but it is very easy to knock up a heavenly light, airy and comforting soufflé.
And this recipe even cuts corner to make your life easier.


A cheese souffle is usually based on a béchamel sauce.
Quark will give you very similar results in 1/2 the effort.
And if you want to soufflé to be really cheesy, do not hesitate to add some grated Parmesan cheese to your base.

What does it take ?

Prep time: 15 mins
Cooking time: 20 to 25 minutes
Serves: 2 to 3
Cost: Economical

What do I need ?

- 4 eggs
- 1 pot of Lake District Company plain Quark
- 50g finely grated parmesan (optional)
- 100g bacon / lardons
- Salt and pepper
- Nutmeg (optional)
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard or 1 tsp powdered mustard
- Butter to butter the dish(es)

What do I do ?