Have you ever wanted to cycle with your dog? There are many situations when this would be useful. From popping over to the store, riding to the farmers market, to exersize your dog in an on-leash area, or even trail riding and commuting.

This is an invention that I didn’t know I needed until I found it. The Springer cycling system is a device that allows the user to safely leash a dog to a bicycle. It keeps your dog gently, but firmly in place at your side, protected from traffic, pedals, and wheels. The low mounted coil spring absorbs and reduces the dog’s sudden jerks and pulls, making it easier to keep your balance. You don’t have to worry about injuring your pet either – the safety release frees the dog instantly should it run on the wrong side of a tree, fire hydrant, pole, or similar obstacle.

This device has been around for many years and the company was established in 1986. However, it still seems to be the most popular in the Nordic countries and Europe. The American Bicycle Magazine gave the Springer high acolades  in their 1991 review. This is a review from a user with a doberman, and here is a flickr picture with a review from an Englishman with a husky.

The Springer is brought to you by a clever company based in Ski, Norway, and is widely available in sports stores around the country. It is available in the US through their online webstore, although from the looks of their homepage it is not currently active or updated. Update: It appears as if Springer is re-launching in the North American market. There is a new website associated with this device.

Available: Norway, Sweden, Germany, UK

Web:

Old website: www.springerusa.com

NEW WEBSITE: http://www.springeramerica.com

Norway: www.springer.no

I was tired of wearing a huge, shapeless slicker every time the sky opened up and poured rain sideways upon me throughout the dark, Norwegian Autumn, Winter, Spring and Summer. Søstrene Jensen is the small company based out of Bergen, Norway (which is the rainiest city in Europe!) that made the rain jacket I finally bought after a very long, and soggy search for the perfect rain jacket.

Sisters Karen and Grete Jensen founded this stylish rainwear company because they wanted to make “…affordable, high quality, protection rainwear which
means you can look stylish every day – not just when the sun is shining.”

To which I nod my head and say thank you. I appreciate the colors, the textures, and even the hardware on these Norwegian beauties. I’ve just noticed they’re making rain booties, too. I am already looking forward to future rain gear from Søs Jensen!

Available: Norway

Web: www.sosjensen.no

This face gel is available all over the world, but it wasn´t until I had spare Swiss Francs to use up before departing from the airport in Geneva that I decided to plunk down the cash to try this product out.

This face gel goes on like a thick serum and is light and moisturizing. It is lovely both at night and during the day, under my thick layer of sunscreen. Definitely recommended!

Available: Europe, North America -Worldwide

I had been intrigued at the idea of trying botox the moment it became a phenomena in the US. I was in my mid-20’s and not in need of a fix, afraid of needles and not in the financial situation to try it out even if I had needed it, but I always thought it would be something I would consider trying when the time was right.

Fast forward to me at age 31. I still don’t need need botox. But I am very interested in the idea of using botox in limited amounts to prevent the onset of wrinkling. I am fair skinned, already have some wrinkles (thanks to burns from the sun, furrowing my face, and genetic blessings) and  after reading* about how using botox as a preventative is common practice among young (late-20s to early-30s) dermatologists in the US, thought it might be something worth checking out.

Wrinkle Prevention

That an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure is an idea I wholeheartedly subscribe to. It is recommended that botox users receive injections no more than every three months. In conjunction with my other research on using botox as a preventative, I read that one could get the injections every 8 or 9 months, thus saving money and getting longer lasting results by starting before the wrinkles were deep and permanent.

The article I read in Oprah quoted a 39 year old dermotologist saying,

“I’ve been getting Botox in my frown lines since I was 28. Even at that age, after years of reading and studying and concentrating, I had pretty deep furrows. At first I did it every four months; now I only need it every six. I really believe Botox helps prevent lines from getting deeper, or even forming in the first place.”

And every single one of the dermatologists interviewed in the article used botox in some limited manner.

Botox Buddy

What I needed to go from just thinking about it to just doing it was an accomplice and a recommendation. An accomplice to go first, so I could deal with my fear of the procedure.  That is where my friend J (hereafter “botox buddy”) stepped in and facilitated this new experiment.

I also needed a recommendation of where to go, because I understand that the injection of the botox is the most important part of the procedure. Quality varies depending on clinic. And the person administering the toxin needs to understand the muscle structure of the face and how injections into certain muscles will impact the outcome.

Learning that Botox Buddy did botox (she first tried botox with a physician’s referral as a way to mitigate severe headaches, only later  did she discover the delight of having a smooth, un-furrowed brow) and had a good clinic in mind, we made twin appointments, allowing me to be in the room with her before my turn came up. I got to watch her go first, and she was able to share all of the information I wanted so that I would not be so afraid that I would back out.

The Injections – what to expect

The picture featured above is me just before I received my injections. The white dots signify the injection sites – I had six in all. Botox Buddy had seven, which the nurse who was administering the botox said was the usual number.

Before it was my turn on the table, my botox buddy told me of the popping sound I would hear when the needle pierced my skin. That’s right – popping. Apparently that is the noise our muscle makes when punctured, and since the injection is in our face, we can actually hear it while it is being done. Without knowing that I might have been more afraid. But I was expecting it, so it was fine.

Botox Buddy also told me about the stinging feeling that comes with the injection. The stinging felt more acute in certain locations that others. The injections near my hairline were the most painful, although the pain was tolerable. The rest were not too stingy. And the discomfort lasted a very short time.

After the injections there were some visible welts, but they subsided within the hour. It was possible to show our faces in public within minutes of the procedure. I could still move my face afterwards, because the affect sets in slowly. It took three days to see my forehead become smoother, but over one week for my forehead to fully set.

Pre-Botox Fears

I had a number of fears leading up to my procedure. Would I be able to move my face? Would I look emotionless? Would I be endangering my health by willfully injecting a poison into my body? What about the side affects?

Face Paralyzation

One thing I had been worried about was not being able to move my face. When I put on mascara I lift my forehead to make space for the wand. How would I do that post-botox? I needn’t have worried, because this is the strange truth – you can still MOVE your face after you have had botox. You just cannot move it into a wrinkle! That is because there are so many muscles responsible for facial movement, and the botox only paralyzes the ones injected, i.e. the ones causing your face to wrinkle.

Toxins can’t be good for you

I also wondered if it wasn’t bad to be injecting a known deadly toxin into my face on purpose. Researching the science of how the botulism toxins block the signals that would normally tell your facial muscles to contract helped quell myfears in that area. If the smallest amount of the toxin required to have the desired effect  is injected into a specific muscle, the risk of it spreading is very minimal. Everything in the right dose is poison, after all. In fact, the amount used is so small that it is considered a very safe procedure. Of course all procedures have risks, so it is important to be informed before making any decision.

Side-affects

The other fear I had was that my eyelids would get heavier. There is a genetic trait in my family towards heavy eyelids, and I have noticed mine getting heavier over the past year. I have read conflicting reports on how botox can lift your brow, as well as how it can give you droopy eyes as well. My treatement left me with slightly heavier eyelids, which is a disappointment. My sister noticed it, but no one else seems to (including my botox buddy, J), or my boyfriend. She could just be being nice, and he could just be playing dumb. Difficult to know. The point is that it is not so different as to be problematic. Next time I go in, i will enquire about injections to lift that area. Maybe there is a way, but it did not mesh with the treatment I had asked for.

Result

The procedure was not as scary or painful as I had anticipated and the result is very good overall. I would definitely do it again. I am looking forward to the widespread availability of Reloxin, a chemical cousin to Botox. This is expected to bring prices down.

* In Oprah magazine there was an article interviewing female dermatologists and plastic surgeons asking them what they would, and wouldn’t do, to maintain their looks. All of them used well-placed botox. None of them looked fake. You can read that article here: http://www.oprah.com/article/omagazine/beauty_skinbody_200611_skin

Available in: Clinics Worldwide

I picked up a sample of this exfoliant when I was at a spa for a surprise birthday massage. It was a real treat to get a grab baggie of different Thalgo products, most of which I found very good and worth recommending!

This exfoliant stood out from the pack for its sheer loveliness. I did not think a product made for sloughing off dead skin cells could ever be described as decadent, but this product truly is!

First things, the microbeads that do the heavy lifting are so small I had no worry of damaging my skin. The scent was minty, like peppermint meets menthol, and it left my face feeling refreshed and revitalized.

Finally, a little goes a long way! My sample pack lasted me for a few weeks (I used the product 2x per week). Which leads me to believe that a bottle could be with you for 6-9 months, and possibly even a year if you only exfoliate once per week.

Available in: Spas, Europe

I picked this up because the shape fit into my travel bag and I knew the brand from years ago when I used to buy my beauty products at the health food store.

What I didn´t remember was that the products in the Alba Hawaiian range were this good.

This lotion, wafting with the rich smell of cocoa butter and coconut, melts into the skin like a body-butter- meets-a-pump-lotion. It is pure heaven to put on and wears so nicely. And because I can’t get it it Norway, I only get a squeeze when I am especially deserving. Like after I had blood drawn or something. Yeah, it is at that level with me.

More information on the product line can be found on the Alba Botanic homepage.

Available in: North America

Eilersen Furniture.

Despite being Danish, it is difficult to find a still shot of these magnificent sofas outside of Japanese websites. That seems like a good sign to me!

We have been looking for a sofa pretty much ever since we got together nearly four years ago. He, being a stereotypical scandinavian when it comes to design, wants something very minimalistic and small. I, being swayed by both Scandinavian and Japanese design, yet wanting something that doesn´t turn my backside to a piece of plywood after 30 minutes of sitting, have found it a nearly insurmountable challenge to find a sofa that is comfortable and stylish and agreeable to both of us.

Perhaps we are lucky that disagreeing on a couch is one of our big relationship issues. Of course moving to Norway, negotiating years upon years in the chaos that is Belgium, and being homesick for North America have their real places in the pecking order of distress, but the couch is where everything meets and comes to a head.

Queue the Eilersen sofa.

Eilersen sofas are high-end, legendary for their comfort, and replete with modern, yet simple, stylish lines. One sits “in” – not on – one of these design marvels. The lead designer, Jens Juuls Eilsersen, says that he designs a sofa so you can “sit softly without tilting.“ The new Krypton model, launched mid-2008, is particularly riveting. It has a thick core of foam at the top of the seat, and is upholstered with down. DOWN!

This one may be out of our price-range at the moment, but not all Eilersens are. While an investment, so is our freetime and maintaining some sense of harmony in our small little home.

I am certain we will have our Eilersen, available from Marnberg furniture, very, very soon. Global recession be damned!

Available in: Scandinavia, as well as the 30 countries Eilersen ships to worldwide.

About Eilersen: Eilersen was founded in 1895 and has remained a family business for four generations. It leads the high-end Danish sofa design in the Nordic region, and is of very high quality, comfort and design.

www.eilersen.eu

So it turns out it isn´t necessary to sacrifice fashion for dry feet. 

The Norwegian climate is mercurial, changing from sun to hail within 15 minutes, rain and wind that can have you slipping on the sidewalk at a moment´s notice.

Enter Viking Footwear, the Norwegian rubber boot company. 

Viking designs boots that are comfortable, waterproof, and stylish, all at the same time! The Outer layer is water resistant, and is lined with waterproof, yet breathable Gore-tex. One more lining seals the boot. 

They have modern styles, vintage, old school models, high, low… it´s difficult to choose, but choose you must, because these boots do not store small.

Perfect on those rainy, muddy mornings when Mr. Puddles needs to be aired at the dog park.

Available in: Denmark, Norway, Finland, Sweden

Represented in: Russia, Iceland, Italy, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Germany, Austria, Switzerland

www.vikingfootwear.com

I´ve run out of my favourite all-in-one product right before leaving on holiday, which is not a good time to run out of this brilliant cleanser! I have long been skeptical of products that can do it all, because I want to avoid bad skin days more than I care about convenience. The Solution Micellaire Physiologique marries the best of both worlds, as it effectively cleanses and tones removing the last bits of make-up yet still leaving skin unscathed, as it is a very gentle product.

It contains no alcohol, no soap, no colouring agents, and is non-comédogène. It is described on its product web page as made for the face, as “sensitive skin, eyes and lips are perfectly cleansed; their physiological balance is respected.”

La Roche-Posay is a French pharmaceuticals company that is now part of the Lóreal group. They make a limited yet dedicated range of skin care products, as well as make-up and hair-care products, and is on offer in pharmacies across mainland Europe. This particular product won´t set you back much, as a 200 ml bottle hovers around the €11 mark.

Demaquille en douceur visage, yeux, lévres: Gently cleanses face, eyes and lips.

La Roche-Posay Website

Available: Mainland Europe

“It´s a quality of life issue”, a friend and I agreed while discussing the impact this hairdryer has had on our daily routines. And how often I´ve repeated the same to my thick-maned cohorts in the months that passed since the BabyLiss la série pro entered my life!

The cool setting reminds me of how it feels to sit at the bow of a speeding boat, turning sopping wet hair into a pile of dry locks. I usually reserve the cool setting for the very end of the blow dry however, as the hot setting is just cool enough to not burn the scalp, and dries the hair much more quickly.

This hairdryer is simple and powerful. The 2000 watts powering the engine is stronger than most of the 2200 watt dryers I have used. It´s an absolute blessing to cut down the routine from over 20 minutes to around 7. When you have this much hair, that is a big difference!

I had been considering buying a fancy hairdryer at Sephora for a few hundred Euro, and am so glad I waited to discover this one.

BabyLiss Product Info here

Available in: Europe

Finally someone has done it. Simpleweather.com is exactly what it sounds like – a website that gives you the weather report for your city (in any country!) and presents it in an understandable way. It´s the ipod of the weather world. And I love it.

Here is what they say about themselves:

SimpleWeather.com is an easy-to-use, no nonsense weather site. We give you exactly what you’re looking for: the weather. No portals, maps, crazy geo stuff, or travel forecasts. SimpleWeather is designed to be extremely helpful and fast. Our goal is to provide you the weather as easily and quickly as possible. We like to keep it, well, simple.

No longer do I have to have up both CNN and BBC weather forecasts to try to make sense of what is in store weather-wise. Simpleweather is reliable, accurate, and not at all fussy. And it´s apparently very popular in Norway, too!

Available online at www.simpleweather.com

Velocity Art and Design is a home furnishing store I have only recently discovered that I am completely in awe of. Their roster of designers, variety of offerings, and beauty in display all make me a return ‘online store’ window-shopper. I can’t vouch for the online shopping or in-store experiences of customers, but I can say that their online range of products borders on the sublime and their sale page is very compelling!

The store owners state that they operate their business around the theory of ‘organic modernism‘, which is the perception inspired by an optimistic outlook of the diverse world in which we live. Organic qualities represent the intuitive processes of discovery and growth which embody interactions with the living world. Organic Modernism joins these two distinct entities creates a way of being – aesthetically, experientially, and in action.

That makes some sort of sense to me. Design like this is exciting and while in many ways a collective experience, it’s a personal journey and seeing and living with discoveries – both old and new – makes it a worthwhile trip. Navigating through what you do and don’t like. Intuition, interaction, optimism.

Living with a design-conscious Scandinavian, this mode of thinking is continuously being learned through his interests in this area. It’s wonderful to live with colour, well thought-out design, and quality over quantity.

Have a peak at the Velocity Art and Design online store and begin your journey into organic modernism!

Available in: Seattle, US and online

Like many people, I have had refractive eye surgery to correct myopia and astigmatism.

I had two different procedures; Lasik and photorefractive keratectomy (PRK). My ophthalmologist suggested I have Lasik in my left eye, and insisted on PRK for the other due to topograhy of my cornea

I had a vision correction of -10 diopters, which means they had to ablate heck of a lot of cornea to achieve a good vision correction. In fact my vision was not correctable to 20/20, because the machine had to be set with a built-in ‘fudge factor’, as it’s not possible to accurately predict how the eye will respond when the vision correction is so steep. So the idea is you correct the vision within range of perfect, but err on the side of not correcting it enough, and then see how the eye deflates from there. It’s like getting a haircut in a sense – you can always cut a little bit more off, but you can’t add more hair.

In my case, my correction ended up right around a -.75. This makes my vision good enough for daily use without further correction. Keeping in mind what I started with, the results of the two surgeries were pretty good. Not extraordinary but absolutely within my realm of expectations.

I do have postoperative complications from the surgeries. My continuing side affects include spherical aberration, i.e. night glare, which is a degraded form a vision in poor lighting. Due to this, I have trouble seeing in darkened rooms, reading subtitles on televisions and in the cinema, seeing performers in concerts, and most of all tolerating bad lighting in basements, metros, and that sort of thing. I am now officially obsessed with lighting.

I wasn’t able to drive at night for a while. I can drive at night with glasses now (these cut down on the glare to the point where there is no glare) or if my eyes are sufficiently moisturized. Which leads me to the other problem I have experienced: Dry Eye.

The first year was the most difficult. I had to use drops several times per day and at least once during the night. I would wake up from sleeping and my eye would feel like the end of a piece of chalk. As much as I would blink I couldn’t produce ample tears. I tried many types of drops, and even used a gel, but the only product that seemed to both help me and not annoy me (afterall, who wants streaky eye make up?) was and is GenTeal Gel Drops by Novartis Opthamalics. These drops are thicker and more moisturizing than regular eye drops, yet lighter and more refreshing than gel. These days I use the drops no more than twice per day, so I’ve either become accustomed to the dry eye or I don’t have it as acutely anymore.

I’m not giving medical advice here, but if you are having trouble with dry-eye due to refractive eye surgery, talk to your opthamalogist and see if she thinks these drops might help you. They certainly did for me!

An interesting recent Q&A on Lasik brought to you by the US National Public Radio.

Available in: Canada, USA**

**Note: I got mine originally in Canada, but have since purchased them in the US. I have not seen them for sale in Europe but they may be trading under a different name or be by prescription only.

My Cooking bible!

How to Cook Everything has been called “The Joy of Cooking” for today’s 20 and 30-somethings and it’s absolutely the case! The recipes in this cookbooks are for people who need to know the basics, and gives you the tools to understand the properties of different foods so that you can modify and create dishes to your liking.

Let’s say you had an artichoke, or an aubergine, and you didn’t know how to prepare it. Look up ‘artichoke’ or because this book is American ‘eggplant’ and you will find a short history of the item in question, different ways of preparing it, and in many cases suggestions for how to use it in recipes, sauces that go well with it, and so on. I’ve been using the description for how to make beans from their dried state, for example. I know it sounds obvious, but it really isn’t if you haven’t done it before.

I use the recipe from this cookbook to make bagels and the house favourite is bagel pizza dough which is divine. Add sun-dried tomatoes, sautéed onions and fresh basil and you can turn it into breadsticks, rolls, whatever. A very highly recommended cookbook!

The author, also a columnist at the New York Times, has a blog.

While I’m on the topic of cookbooks, there are many I adore (such as the Moosewood Vegetarian cookbook)

but my favourite vegetarian cookbook still remains “Great Vegetarian Food” by Women’s Weekly, an

Australian publisher. It features a lot of pumpkin, chili, curries, risottos, tofu dishes and soups that are sublime. There is nothing in this cookbook that hasn’t had rave reviews.

This cookbook also has pictures, which helps when preparing something different. I have given away this cookbook twice as presents I like it so much. If you can find this cookbook do get it!

Available in: US, Canada, UK, Australia

Danish design house Samsøe Samsøe is one of my favourite labels right now. They make both mens and womens clothing, designed on trend, but with some timeless qualities that make them good investment pieces. Think Designers Remix meets Fillipa K meets Bruuns Bazaar. It’s not sold much outside of Denmark for some reason, although I can imagine it being popular in Seattle boutiques if they only knew about it!

Some of my favourite bits of clothing bear the Samsøe mark. I recently bought a few dresses from their 2008 linen which was painful on the pocketbook but had to be done due to an upcoming wedding I needed the perfect dress for. One of the dresses I bought is a shiny and light, A-line, and luminous. The other is a bright blue day-to-night dress with a delicate weave, a flattering,luminous shape that can be belted or left loose. Both are like wearing air they are so light!

Samsøe Samsøe is a recent, and much loved, fashion discovery.

Available in: Denmark, Norway, Sweden

Cynthia Del Giudice makes the most amazing jewelry!

My sister somehow discovered her store on ETSY, and then secretly bought her jewelry as gifts last year Christmas. It had to have been difficult to keep a secret this big from us!

According to her website, the copper minimalist earrings are her most popular design. I have a pair, which I love and wear probably too much, which means at least a few times per week. They are large yet surprisingly light and easy to wear, and minimalist chic. The length is also face-flattering, because as I have discovered, such shapes elongate and thus thin the face, which suits me fine!

I own four pairs of CDG earrings now and I can’t say which are my faves because I love them all so much. I was fairly surprised to see how affordable her wares are, considering they’re handmade out of solid materials by the artist out of her Pampas, Argentina workshop.

Cynthia’s process seems deeply rooted in her environment, and is expressed through simple, elegant pieces that are not trying too hard, and speak for themselves. This is exactly the sort of jewelry I like and hope to see more from CDG over the coming years!

Now if someone that had the design skills of this lady could design high-end items such as engagement rings I would be a very happy camper!

Living abroad means being an early adapter of technology. I have been calling my friends and family using skype since beta phoning, but it wasn´t until I got the Logitech USB headset that I reaped the aural benefits of voice over internet protocol (VOIP).

This pair works because it’s simple, functional, yet with a little bit of luxury. The ear pads are soft and comfortable, there are no extra buttons to mess with, and it has a USB plug instead of two separate pins which is a plus.

I’ve noticed these are available in Europe, but they’re priced way above the slightly sub-standard pairs. There doesn’t seem to be a lot of middle ground in the market in the stores I’ve checked. MediaMarkt is a prime example…they carry loads of cheap foam types, very few USB, higher-end yet moderately priced choices .

They’re a good deal in the US and can be found at most electronic stores, although it seems they may no longer be carried by the manufacturer so it’s a good idea to grab these while you can.

Available in: Worldwide

I am a TREMENDOUS fan of Slow Loris Shirts, and not just because I’m related to the artist/designer, who by the way is totally cool.

The designs, the shirts – there is no detail unthought of here. Completely original drawings, hand cut and screen-printed on t-shirts, sweatshirts, scarves, and even canvas tote bags.

The tote bags are fantastic in a place like Norway, where plastic shopping bags are being outlawed this year!

The prints are placed on the t-shirts to be flattering, the color schemes are invigorating and you just feel great wearing these shirts.There are girl sizes that make you look GOOD! Best of all, these shirts are hand screen-printed and sold directly from the artist herself.

Slow Loris is also offering a service called ‘Slow Bespoke‘, which is a custom print order on a piece of clothing you already own. I had this done on my fave t-shirt and night dress, and was really happy with the results! You can take advantage of that option by ordering via the Slow Loris ETSY shop.

A good recent interview with Slow Loris Shirts is available on the Kett Made WordPress blog.

Available in: Select boutiques around the world, and from the Slow Loris Shirts website.

The gift of soap is always welcome. This handmade soap was given to me by one of my sisters, and I had been saving it for a special occasion. But don’t! It’s inexpensive, and can be broken up into pieces so it lasts longer. It looks lovely broken into funny shapes and smells divine!

A nice gift to give and receive.

Available in: Seattle, USA and online at the Estrella Soap web boutique

These aren’t my shoes but I do have the shoe covers!

I no longer feel constrained to running outdoors on non-icy days. With these shoe covers, I can run through ice and even snow without slipping and hurting myself, which I am prone to doing. One day I was jogging down a steep hill when a construction worker spotted my grippers, and stopped to ask where he could get some, too. These were purchased on a US website so I wasn’t sure what to tell him. There could be a big market for these genius items here in Norway!

Here’s what the official website says:

The spikes are designed to give and release from undue stress without tearing the rubber. Get-A-Grip traction aids are designed to prevent the injuries associated with slippery surfaces. Increased traction helps prevent falling, reducing the probability of pulled muscles, fractures, or back problems caused by injuries from a quick slip. In addition to superior traction, all Get-A-Grips are designed to fit close to footwear, keeping them in place and virtually unnoticeable while wearing. There are no snaps, straps, buckles or wires to pose hazards to the wearer.

They really do stay on, too. That was my biggest concern – tripping over them little by little while they fell off. But they stay put and don’t feel bulky or heavy to wear while running. I don’t recommend wearing them inside for evening a few steps, however – they pick up paint and dent floors from the small gripper spikes.

Fantastic invention!

Product details are on the Surefoot website.

Available in: US, Canada

I learned about GHD hair straighteners from a friend and have become an evangalizer of this product ever since. With this tool I am able to straighten my hair the way it’s done in a good salon. I’m not very clever with these sorts of things and I bore easily, so I can say for inpatient goofs, this is brilliant.

My hair is thick and wavy, fairly dry due to my insistence at maintaining blond highlights, and I wash it more than I should. So I needed a really good quality straightener that wasn’t going to fry my hair beyond the help of deep conditioning treatments. I’ve used neon, babyliss, and so many others, but this is the only one I could emphatically recommend to a friend.

I have not tried the Chi hair straightener though…I’d really like to know what others think of that one.

I had the MK4 which was a great model but ended up switching with my friend for the wide-plate iron because it worked better on my longer hair, and the MK4 was more suited to her fringe. This is the absolute best hair straightener I’ve ever tried.

You get what you pay for, of course! This sucker will put you back about $200 in the US and 110 GBP in the UK. And if you’re like other ghd fans, it won’t be a one-time-only purchase.

Available in: UK, US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand

This paste-like ‘paint’ is eyeshadow in a tube. Every day I use this as a concealer on my eyelids, because anything you put on top of it is more likely to stay put and not end up on your upper eyelid. There is a reason this colour is called ‘bare canvas’!

I also like the colour versions of this product but it’s a bit messier to apply so I usually just use the bare canvas alone. Highly recommended if you are looking for a way to stop eye make-up smudge!

Available in: US, Canada, Belgium and all MAC make-up markets.

Mizuno is a Japanese footwear company specializing in sport shoes. However, that’s not all they do. When Georgio Armani wanted to make functional fashionable footwear, he joined up with Mizuno. He was quoted explaining that,

“I wanted to create special sneakers, but for me the key thing is that they be authentic, where technology and fashion meets. In my view no one makes more advanced sneakers than Mizuno, so it’s a great arrangement.”

Needless to say, the collaboration turned out quite well!

But Mizuno’s real triumph is in their sports line.The Mizuno Wave Inspire 4’s are great running shoes. I put in about 20 miles per week on rugged hilly terrain, but also do a fair amount of on-road running and have the occasional meeting with a treadmill. I’ve found this shoe to function very well in all of these circumstances. The design of the shoe keeps the heel in place, the toe box has just the right amount of room so that the shoe is both well-structured and light, and it has built-in stability for runners that need a little extra support.

I don’t have any particular needs in a shoe, which I know determines preference for many runners. I’m fairly average recreational runner, I don’t compete, I have no desire to run a marathon, I just like to make sure I get about 5 hours of running in per week.

This shoe will particularly appeal to those out there who are disappointed with latest changes Asics has made to their tried-and-true running shoes. From what I’ve heard, many have made the switch since this design change.

The price on these shoes varies widely between markets. I bought mine for $85 at Foot RX in Bellingham, USA, and REI is selling them online for $95, which is a fair price. In the UK they average about 80 pounds sterling, and in Belgium they’re around 130 euro. Here in Norway this pair is about triple the price of the US. So choose your market wisely if price is a concern.

Everyone I have recommended Mizuno running shoes to has become a convert! This shoe is listed on mizuno.com as product number 410297

Available in: US, Canada, Europe, Japan

I know you’re not supposed to disturb your spots. But sometimes you just have to! This is for aftewards. When the pimple has healed but is still pinkish/red, put some sudocrem on it before bed and when you wake up the spot will have significantly lightened.

I first heard about using Sudocrem for this use from my Irish flatmate, Lucy. Lucy let me use hers, and it was so soothing to my skin I started using it a bit too regularly. The label is old school and it claims to be the answer for bedsores, but I’m telling you, it’s great for pimples!

I recently saw a review of sudocrem on an acne website. I can see others have found the off-shelf use for this product as well!

It costs a couple of quid at Boots or other pharmacies in the commonwealth. I haven’t seen it for sale in the US but another type of diaper cream may work as well!

Available in: UK, Australia

This product may be marketed to straighten your hair, but ladies, this is the best thing for taming and enjoying your wavy hair!

The Redken website advises users to:

apply to damp hair and blow-dry straight. Flat iron for stick-straight results.

I couldn´t disagree more. The product is okay for straightening, but it kick-ass for wavy hair!

The real genius of this product is using it to form waves and curls. The somewhat stiff nature of the cream helps to keep curls together and stop them from frizzing. Here is an example of my thick, wavy hair using only the Redken Align 12:

If you have heavy thick hair with a natural wave and don’t want it to be huge, and you want to determine the shape of your curls, apply 2 or 3 pumps of the Align 12 to half-dry hair, twist into the desired shape and let air dry.

If you have one of those hairdryers with the spikes on the end, like the Braun Volumizer (another product aimed towards the wrong market – this hairdryer was the best hairdryer for curly hair I’ve ever tried!), you can also dry your hair from here, making sure not to let it move too much. It’s the moving that causes frizz.

I’ve read in some reviews that the Panasonic EH5502W Ultra Ionic Hair Dryer is the next best thing now that the braun volumizer is off the market. Stuff your curls up into the spikes and it will hold them put until dry. it appears as if this hairdryer is no longer available, but you get the idea – these types of hairdryers are ace for keeping curly-hair frizz free without having to air-dry.

Available in: US, Canada, Europe, and beyond…