Reviews

I had woken up extra early last Friday 27 October when the iphone X first went on pre-order and on the stroke of 08.00 GMT, I placed my order via the Apple website paying the inflated UK price of £999 with Apple Pay and held my breath.  Many were not as lucky with pre-orders selling out in minutes but my order went through successfully and in the process I booked a store pickup reservation at 1.00 PM today at the Apple Store on Regent Street in London. Press and social media earlier were full of photos of thousands of people queuing outside stores in London, Tokyo, Sydney and around the world eager to get their hands on Apple’s most expensive smartphone so far. When we arrived at 1.00 PM for our appointment thankfully the queues had died down but the store was still packed to the gunnels a...

Whilst blind users and people with dyslexia will welcome several improvements to VoiceOver there is nothing new in this iOS 11.1 update for physically disabled users, which will disappoint some. VoiceOver is a screen reader built into iOS. By using VoiceOver, users can access their iOS device based on spoken descriptions. The feature is designed to increase accessibility for blind and low-vision users, as well as users with dyslexia. Here are the release notes detailing the Accessibility improvements that Apple provided for iOS 11.1: Improves braille support for Grade 2 input Improves VoiceOver access to multi-page PDFs Improves VoiceOver rotor actions for announcing incoming notifications Improves VoiceOver rotor actions menu when removing an app from the App Switcher Fixes an issue for s...

“Answer a call from your surfboard. Ask Siri to send a message. Stream your favourite songs on your run. And do it all while leaving your phone behind. Introducing Apple Watch Series 3 with cellular connectivity.” This is how Apple describes its new Watch Series 3 cellular and it was enough for me to part with £649.00 for the Black Stainless Steel Case GPS + Cellular version – not that I am going to go surfboarding any time soon. I have muscular dystrophy, which is a progressive physical disability; to all intents and purposes my arms don’t work due to severe muscle weakness and I need to access my smart devices a lot of the time by voice. For many Siri has become the gateway to so much that you can now do on your Apple devices by voice alone – checking the weather,...

Every beauty aficionado knows that looking after your skin does not have to cost the earth. With the burgeoning internet it has never been easier to find good deals on skin care products. Whether it is via sites like lovelula.com or the Debenhams Blue Cross Sale – there has never been so much choice at your fingertips. Modern beauty buyers are much more savvy today. They know that they do not have to go directly to the houses to buy their skin care and grooming products. There are now many outlets for skin care and grooming products. TK Maxx is a one stop shop for all beauty items. Prestige skin care products can be bought for a fraction of the price at the store and there are a plethora of well known and lesser known brands to choose from. The Savers group is more “street” when it comes t...

Men looking after their skin is no longer a secret. Johnny Depp does it and so does Leonardo D’Caprio. Rod Stewart once admitted to being devoted to Olay’s Classic Moisturizing Lotion. Time it was when products geared towards men were mostly functional at best. But times have changed. Men always looked after their skin but only in the last two decades has grooming products specifically geared at men really taken off. Not that exclusivity matters. The needs of a man’s skin may be different to woman’s but the fundamental facets of good skin care are the same. Clinique was one of the first companies to launched a line geared specifically at men. They pre-empted the trend and launched Skin Supplies For Men in 1976. It remains one of the most popular lines geared at men....

As a knowledgable cosmetics consultant for Elizabeth Arden once told me, “Prevention is better than cure”. Skin is the largest organ of our body and deserves our tender loving care. If you put junk food into your body you will eventually become ill. If you do not take care of your skin with the right products it will not function to its optimim. Skin care is not a luxury but as essential as brushing our teeth, and it can be a pleasurable experience that you look forward to every day – particularity when you start to see results. But what about troubleshooting problems? Be fatalistic with your products – no matter how much you have spent or how loyal you are to that brand or the product. Irritated and inflamed skin is a sign that something has reacted with your skin. If your skin is intoler...

The same care and attention we lavish on our facial skin should be applied to our bodies. But too often we neglect body skin. Hidden under layers of clothing it is easy to forget that our bodies need tender loving care. Dermatologists believe our body products should be catered to our skin type, just like the products we use on our face. We should choose products specially designed for our skin needs. Body care is a necessity that does not have to be a chore. It can be a labour of love. Take time to nurture yourself. This is your time and life does not afford enough of these precious moments – so make the most of them. The same rules apply to men and women and there are excellent products in all price brackets. Consider body brushing before your bath or shower to flush out toxins, slough o...

“Cleanse, tone, moisturise” is a mantra that generations are familiar with. But there is a new mantra on the block: “sun protection, sun protection, sun protection”. With the depletion of the ozone layer, outside aggressors like pollution and stress of modern life – our skin has plenty to contend with. So the need to nourish and protect the skin is of paramount importance to preserve and maintain its beauty. Sun protection may one day become as indispensable as toothpaste. It is still the one beauty product that helps prevent skin cancer and premature ageing. Yet, 85% of the US population is still unaware that the primary cause of skin ageing, brown spots, wrinkles and cancer are the sun’s rays. While Australia has less incidences of skin cancer than UK. A popular misconception is th...

Christmas is drawing closer and it’s time to start grabbing those last minute presents. But if you don’t want to brave the chaos of the high-street, shopping online can be a great alternative. Here are a list of shops that will deliver your presents straight to your house and have incredible, low prices too! 1. Humbara.com This clothes shop has some great styles and they deliver worldwide. But the best part is, everything is £5. Dresses, t-shirts, trousers, shoes, accessories and underwear are all £5 on this website. They also offer the chance to win £50 each week according to their Facebook page. This is a great site if you want something cheap but stylish. 2. Amazon.com Amazon offer pretty much anything, from electrical goods to books to clothes. Their items are a range of prices but, de...

Knowing what to buy a man for Christmas can be a stressful task, whether it’s your dad, your boyfriend or your mate. But it doesn’t have to be so difficult. It can be easy to forget that cosmetics aren’t just for women – there are plenty of products out there for the men too! So this Christmas, why not try out some of these great cosmetics and treat your man to a present he can use all year round. 1. Anti-Blemish Coverstick (£13.50 at ManKind) It’s important to remember that men get blemishes and skin imperfections too. While some men might be hesitant to try out male makeup, this product can really make a difference to their appearance and give them a massive confidence boost. This concealer is specifically designed to target spots, blackheads and blemishes while soothing the skin and lea...