In the first of a series on how to green up your home, we look at one kitchen appliance it seems us Brits can't live without: the kettle. Kettles use big bursts of energy to heat water up to boiling point, but the good ones will do this quickly, with as little energy loss as possible.
Eco kettles tend to fit into one of two categories: the first work by heating the water with as little energy as possible (sometimes to a temperature that's not quite boiling); the second are designed with in-built features to try and stop you boiling more than you need.
We've tried all sorts, and from an office that has far too many kettles for its own good, I bring you our roundup of kettles we've tested, and our verdict on which one offers the greenest cup of tea.
Follow the jump for the results
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This week, I've been testing out the Baylis Revolution media player; the new and more streamlined version of the world's first wind-up MP3 player. The Revolution, which is available for £129 at Ethical Superstore, is similar to its predecessor, but has more memory and comes in a sexier-looking case that doesn't scream "I'm an eco gadget" too loudly.
Follow the jump for the rest of the review
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If I learnt one thing from my recent energy monitoring challenge, it's not to use the tumble dryer so often. But what about when you really need to get your jacket dry in time for a meeting, or don't have any dry, clean sheets? I'd not tried these little alien-looking balls before now, but surprsingly, they do seem to dramatically reduce the amount of time needed to get things dry as well as making them softer to the touch and less creased than usual.
So how do they work?
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If you like your skincare products light, you'll love this new range of natural products that includes a facewash, anti-ageing day and night moisturiser, eye serum and cleanser. All products have been given the thumbs-up by the Vegan Society, come in recycled packaging and have been formulated to adhere to current thinking from the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, so you can feel confident that your face is in safe hands!
Read on over the jump for my review
Related: Bulldog natural male grooming range expands | Fight of the foaming natural cleansers: Madara vs. Philosophy
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After reading Leila's "Can you have a plastic-free period?" article here on Dollymix, I decided to bite the bullet and finally get myself kitted out with a hippy-sounding Mooncup. How did I fare? Keep reading to find out!
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I've been trying out a range of products by Africology this week: they're new to the UK, and their sales benefit good causes as well as your skin.
All products in the range contain natural ingredients with anti-aging properties are fragranced using essential oils, not synthetic perfurmes. I was biased towards several of these products alredy, mostly because several of them contain neroli, my absolute favourite essential oil, which is native to Africa. The marula skin conditioning body oil, for example, is absolutely heavenly, and a real treat for skin that's looking a bit tired. Seemed to work a treat on my dreaded mosquito bites, too!
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Mineral makeup is everywhere right now, and Afterglow is one of the newer additions to the UK cosmetics counter, having been a huge success in the States. It's got great ethical credentials, is certified cruelty-free by the BUAV and contains no parabens or fragrances. So how well does it actually work?
I managed to get my hands on a few samples of the '80% organic, 100% natural' range, and have asked a few members of the office to give me their verdict on the brand. Follow the jump to find out what they thought.
Related: Mineral makeup - what is it, and how do I use it? | Abi's mineral makeup trial with Bella Pierre
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