Did a Fortune Teller Know That My Sister Would Die?

Christmas Eve. It is this time of the year that brings me back to my childhood, the time when Christmas Eve was magical. Cattle would talk on the onset of Christmas day, water would turn sacred in all wells around the world and anyone who believed in magic would take advantage of this special night to talk to the dead relatives and ask them various questions about their own or their family's future.

Can a fortune teller tell your future?

These were magical times and I remember Christmas Eve as a really unique special day when everything was possible. It was not about presents and it was not just another night to go out and get drunk as it is in the UK. It was a very special day that you got only once a year.

Part of me longs those wonderful traditions that we had when I lived in Lithuania, but another part of me is happy. English traditions seem to be a lot simpler and certainly less magical; this kind of comforts me these days.

My family would often celebrate Christmas Eve together with my best friend's family. We would say some prayers (not that I was ever religious!), have our huge dinner, which was not allowed to contain any meat, eggs, diary or any alcohol, and my sisters together with my friends' sisters would go lock themselves in a room and do magic. Yes, they did magic, they called spirits of the dead people that they had known and asked them questions. They always took it very seriously and never let us, little ones, into the room. They claimed it was very dangerous as they had to call the spirit, but also had to send it back, otherwise, we would end up with a haunted house..

I don't know all the details about the magic that my sisters did, but I know they knew quite a few ways of doing it. One of them was using a plate and some paper with some writing on it. The person concerned asks questions that can only give you a yes or no answer and the plate would turn on its own indicating whether it was a yes or a no response. Most of the time nobody would tell me what questions they asked and the responses they received, but I do remember once my sister telling me that she had asked whether my mom would live for another 10 years, then 20 years and the same questions about our dad. All answers were a clear yes, but when she asked a similar question about herself, she said that strangely she did not understand what the reply was.. Nobody took too much notice, but I do recall my sister saying it.. Now it's way more than 20 years later and my both parents are still alive. They are well into their seventies now.

Christmas tree

My sister Martha (I invented the name for my own comfort) was an extremely intelligent bright girl and it is strange that she believed in magic. I guess magic was more like a game rather than a genuine belief, but just in case the girls seemed to be always very careful when they did it.

One day Martha decided to go and see a clairvoyant. I have no idea why an intelligent person would do it, but she did. When she came back she looked a bit concerned; the clairvoyant refused to tell her her future or she could not see anything, and, therefore, was not able to tell her her future. I cannot remember the exact words that my sister used, but the concept is the same. Some time later my sister's heart stopped, for no reason and she passed away.

Could the clairvoyant see my sister's future? Did the plate know the answer to all those questions that the girls asked on a Christmas Eve? Was everything only a coincidence?

I don't believe in magic and I am a very sceptical person. I only believe in things that I can see for myself, so no clairvoyant can tell me my fortune. Nevertheless, every time on a Christmas Eve I remember this story and I always wonder how this all happened. Is it really just a coincidence that the fortune teller refused to tell my sister her future, could she possibly really know anything? It's weird, because I don't believe magic or anybody's ability to tell somebody else's future, but somehow I treat these things with respect and I am very careful, just in case..

Do you believe in magic, ghosts, spirits, clairvoyants, fortune tellers and similar things? If so, which ones and why?

I Wish You All a Merry Christmas!!!!!

CHIA DERM+ Lip Balms

Amazing ChiaDerm+ lip balms that smell great and feel perfect on lips

I have a pleasure to introduce these wonderful lips balms by Chia Derm+. They are all natural organic  products with chia seed extract that offers a unique blend of natural ingredients with proven clinical results. I can't test the ingredients myself, but I can assure that the balm is very pleasant to use and it is by far the best lip balm I have ever had. It has wonderful, but completely natural smell which reminds me a bit of some citrus fruit, long staying power when applied on the lips and it comes in a variety of sizes. I always reach out for this balm when I want to keep my lips moisturised and protected even though I have a variety of other emollients at home. I have this lip balm in three sizes: one giant 50ml plastic jar, one approx. 10.4ml tube and a smaller tube of approx. 4.4ml. Watch out for my further posts as this will soon be offered as one of the prizes in my giveaways.

The founders of the company are big advocates of chia seeds. They discovered that the seeds have anti-ageing, anti-inflammatory, healing and skin protection properties and, therefore, incorporated this little seed into everyone of their products.

All Chia Derm+ products are completely natural, organic, hypoallergenic, non-comedogenic products.

A complimentary ChiaDerm+ hand made soap received with the lip balms.
It smells of eucalyptus and looks so good that I nearly had a bite of it!
Thankfully, I only licked it! :)

Chia balm is paired with bergamot, a rare Italian citrus fruit extract with medicinal properties which I suspect is the one that gives the balm its unique amazing smell.

The chia ointment can be also used for age-susceptible areas that require hydration or special care with staying power - lips, around the eye area, elbows, knees, feet, hands, cuticles, between fingers, etc. It's great for burns, cuts, pruritic (i.e., dry and irritated) skin, expediting the healing process and reducing redness and scarring.

The company also has a ChiaDerm+ serum which I probably prefer over argan oil or barbary fig seed oil extract due to its a little bit more runny consistency, however, personally, I am not into skincare oils due to my skin's inability to absorb any greasy substances, therefore, I am not going to talk a lot about the serum in my blog post.

Last things last, I am very pleased to say that the company volunteered to provide a set of these balms for one of my giveaways, so watch out a new giveaway as one set will soon be offered to one of my readers.

Which lip balm is your favourite? Where do you buy it? Which qualities do you appreciate the most in lip care products?

Children Sexualisation in the UK is All Allien to Me

I have lived in the UK for over a decade now. I got used to most of the things here and I learned to understand British culture. I feel the part of it. However, one thing that I struggle with is the children or, more correctly, people's attitude towards them. It seems to me that people are not able to draw a line between adults and kids when it comes to our sexuality. Children seem to be sexual objects here, which is something I don't get.

The right one was ok, but the left one was removed

One example from my own experience is the removal of my children's photograph from a Children's Portraiture community on Google+. I was so proud of my two gorgeous little ones that I decided to share my super sweet and cute kids' pictures with people on Google+. Unfortunately, the moderator of the community felt offended by the pic in which a loving brother (who was three at a time) gave a peck on his little sister's (she was not even two then!) lips. Another similar photo, but without a kiss was allowed to stay on the community's wall. The photo only captured the moment, it was not a produced piece of art.

Another thing I don't understand is breastfeeding. When a woman decides to breastfeed in public, she seems to always attract a lot of criticism as though she has a choice. Most of the time the choice is between breastfeeding in public or staying at home all the time without seeing the daylight; the mother cannot possibly know when the baby will decide that he/she needs to eat. Another even more cruel choice would be to let the baby scream until she falls asleep from exhaustion. If the same woman could choose to breastfeed in the comfort of her own home as opposed to a bench in a public park, I bet she would go for the former.

Showers in the female changing room

The last thing that happened to me recently was the e-mail that I received from the swimming pool which my little boy and the girl have been attending for a while now. Always since my kids started going to the pool I would take their clothes off in the shower, which you can see in the picture on your right. I liked the idea that they could wash themselves properly there, I would put them into their pyjamas and we would go home and straight to bed. The e-mail from the swimming school said that all kids had to wear their swimwear in the shower at all times regardless of their age. For me this is sexualisation of the kids. They are only three and five and we are in the ladies only changing room, but they can't have a shower naked! Now I have to take kids home, bath them at home and only then they can go to bed.

Seeing kids as a sexual object is something I am not used to. In Lithuania it is totally normal for a child to run around naked on a beach and nobody ever tells their mothers to cover them up. Here in the UK, kids are not allowed to wash themselves properly even in the shower.

Also, making a woman breastfeeding her baby feel like a sexual object is simply unethical. If it makes someone feel uncomfortable for whatever reason, they don't need to look at her, but please don't make the woman feel uncomfortable; she is already struggling with the extra attention that she gets when her baby starts crying in the middle of a shopping mall, in a cafe or a busy restaurant. It is very hard as it is....

Pedophiles? Yes, we need to watch out for them, but we can't assume that everyone is a pedophile, especially in a female changing room where every female there is with her own little child. Or maybe one of those mothers complained about children being undressed in the changing room? You never know, but this makes my tummy turn, I feel sick when I think that someone sees a three and a five year old as sexual objects.

What is your opinion on this subject? Do you think that toddlers playing in the sand on a beach or little kids having a shower in the swimming pool undressed is something inappropriate?

Continuous Giveaway. This Month's Prize: Unique New Tech Skin Revitalising Gel RENU28 by ASEA

This month's prize:
RENU28 Gel by ASEA

The winner of the previous giveaway is someone with the e-mail address that looks like this:

black****odel@yahoo.com

If the e-mail address looks like it could be yours, I can assure you it is yours then, please get in touch. You can find my e-mail address on the Contact Details tab on my blog. I only need your address so that I can send you the beauty mask that you won. Thank you for being on my subscribers list. Winning now does not preclude you from winning again in the future. You automatically participate in all my future continuous giveaways simply by being on my subscribers list.

This month's prize: New Tech Anti-ageing Gel by ASEA

I am very pleased to announce my cooperation with Nisse Norberg who is an independent representative for ASEA, the creator of RENU28 - unique new technology skin revitalising gel which promises literally miracles. The results are nothing short of amazing and you can watch this video if you want to see them for yourself. Although I have not tried the gel myself and I don't have my own experience on its delivery, I am looking forward to receive the product which should be somewhere on the way to me right now. Keep your eyes open for a review of this gel and good luck if you will be attempting to win it.

I am not going to write a lot about RENU28 now as I am hoping to review it on my blog at some point later. I will give you more details then, however, you are welcome to read about ASEA's new technology on their website here. In short, Redox Signalling Molecules are the main building block of their anti-ageing gel. They enable skin healing which gives amazing results to its users and ASEA is the only source in the world of these molecules. Watch out for the next big thing!

RENU28 Gel retails at £72 for two tubes.

New technology anti-ageing gel RENU28 promises to deliver amazing results RENU28

Disclaimer

Nisse Norberg, independent representative of ASEA, is responsible for delivering the prize to the winner. Although I totally trust him to deliver the prize, I cannot be held responsible in case things do not go according to the plan.

How to enter the giveaway

This giveaway is part of my continuous giveaway, which I started last month and you can find the details about it here. You only need to join once and you will automatically participate forever without ever having to enrol again provided you stay on my e-mail subscribers list. So, being on my e-mail subscribers list is the only compulsory condition.

If you are not one of my subscribers yet, this is how you can become one:

1. Find the subscription box on the righthand side of my blog. It says "Join My Email Subscribers!". Make sure you verify your subscription by clicking the link that gets automatically sent to your e-mail address. 
2. Like my Facebook page here and you are in. Don't worry if you don't have a Facebook account, you can still participate in a giveaway as number 1 is the only compulsory condition to be included. 

Scope of the giveaway

Open internationally to people over the age of 18.

Winner selection

The winner will be selected randomly from the active subscribers list as of 15th January 2015.

End of the giveaway

This month's prize will be announced on the 15th of January 2015.

Final Word

I would like to say a Huge "THANK YOU" to all of my subscribers. You are the evidence that someone is reading the content that I produce, which matters HUGELY to me. Thank you very much!

Dodgy Maybelline Master Drama Khol Liner Eye Pencil Review - Part 2

I already wrote an article about my favorite eyeliner. It is Maybelline Master Drama Khol Liner. Oh, no, sorry, it WAS my favourite eye pencil, but not anymore.

A line drawn with an old Maybelline Master Drama Khol Liner
at the top, a crumbled line drawn with the new pencil at the bottom

So, what happened?

I loved the strong colour and the smoothness of the liner, but when I ran out of it and replaced it with a new one, the new one was just not good. In fact, it was so bad that I had to throw it in the bin!!!

What exactly is wrong with it? 

• The new Maybelline Master Drama seems like it's all dried out even though it was bought much later than the previous one, which is still fine!
• It's impossible to sharpen it. 
• It crumbles when I apply it to my fine skin around the eye and I can't draw any reasonable line.

Well, nothing short of shocking, given that it is the same brand and it is the same name of the pencil. I withdraw my statement:

It is NOT my favourite eyeliner anymore and I do NOT recommend it.

Well, there is one exception. If you go to the shop and open the eyeliner you are about to buy, try it, test it and only then buy it if it's of good quality. I do warn you though that you may face some miserable looking shop assistant that may start complaining about you trying out products that are not marked with words something like "testing" or "try it" or whatever else the shop marks their samples with. 

Maybelline Master Drama khol liner

Strange, but different batches of products are of different quality, so be weary with your recommendations. Mira from Glamdevils bought the eyeliner based on my recommendation and then she was complaining about its poor quality. I had no idea what she meant at a time. I thought maybe it was just not to her taste, but now I know what she meant.

Also, stock up on your favourite product if you can as the next batch many not be of the same quality as the old one. 

Anyhow, here you can see my rant on YouTube. Enjoy!

Have you ever bought anything that you fell in love with it, then you bought it again and you were very disappointed?

Unbelievable OGRA's (Organic Irish Peat Skincare) Story and Product Reviews

OGRA peat exfoliator, anti-ageing moisturiser and mask

OGRA is one of the brands I had a pleasure to chat to at the Anti-ageing Show in Manchester a few weeks ago. The company uses Irish organic peat as their main unique ingredient in their skincare products. Peat has some great skincare benefits, but you have to read their story to believe the real benefits of the bog.

How was OGRA born?

When Bill, the founder of the company, was still a child he badly burnt his hand. His mother wrapped his hand in peat to soothe and calm the scalded skin. It took only four days to totally rejuvenate and heal the skin.

As an adult, Bill was already aware of the benefits of peat on human skin, but there were more events to witness the power of the bog. In 2003, a dead body was discovered in the bog near where he lived. It was suspected to be a murder case, however, after some tests it was established that it was the body by an Iron Age man who lived 2500 years ago. The body was unbelievably well preserved, which further reinforced Bill's belief in peat's incredible abilities to preserve and rejuvenate skin.

Two years later Bill undertook the task to scientifically research and prove the benefits of peat. The scientists confirmed them and that's how OGRA was born.

The Truth

I certainly love OGRA's story, but there is something more to the bog than a special type of soil. Bog bodies get mummified due to low temperature, highly acidic water and lack of oxygen, so it's not just the peat itself. It's the whole environment that works well on human skin. Nevertheless, there is no reason to disbelief in peat's skincare benefits. Peat, also called a therapeutic mud, is highly used in Lithuania for various treatments and there is a well known resort there, called Druskininkai, to which people flock not only from Lithuania, but from other parts of the world too.

Review of the products received at the Anti-Ageing Show

Anti-Ageing Facial Moisturiser

OGRA exfoliant, moisturiser and a face mask

I am really enjoying OGRA's moisturiser. It kind of reminds me of my at some point favourite Estee Lauder face cream or moisturiser in its consistency, but I have been trying out lots of products since becoming a beauty blogger, so I got to learn a lot about other face creams and moisturisers too. I don't stick to the same old brand anymore as there are some better ones or at least as good ones out there. Some of which are only half price or even less than Estee Lauder products.

Now I am here to talk about OGRA's moisturiser. With pure Irish peat as a primary ingredient OGRA's Anti-Ageing moisturiser contains an abundance of mineral components, fatty acids, antioxidants and lipoids. The moisturiser increases collagen production and reduces the appearance of lines and wrinkles leaving skin revitalised and rejuvenated.

OGRA claims the following results after using their face moisturising product:

• Skin is rehydrated.
• Wrinkles appear softened.
• Collagen production is increased.
• Complexion appears more radiant.
• Skin feels smoother.

I can't confirm the production of collagen as I can't measure it, but I do confirm that my skin feels smoother, softer and more radiant. I am very happy with the moisturiser and my husband is the best critic. He loves the light consistency and the fact that the product wonderfully melts into the skin.

Price EUR 59.95.

100% Peat Face and Body Mask

Peat has excellent moisture retaining qualities which improves skin elasticity and enhances health. The mask is fully black and it's not very thick. After applying it on my thoroughly cleaned face I kept it for 15 minutes as directed. I kept splashing it with water to avoid the mask drying out too quickly. Once washed off my face skin felt incredibly smooth and radiant. I enjoyed the result, so I give the mask my thumbs up even though the application process is a little bit messier than with some other masks that we can buy off the shelf.

The mask is suitable for any skin type and it is particularly good for problem skin such as acne, psoriases or  eczema. Some people experience a bit of redness or tingling on their face during or after the application of the mask, but this ir totally normal as peat promotes the blood to come to the surface of the skin. An exchange of ions in the skin tissues occurs which has some positive rejuvenating powers; the harmful positive ions in the skin are exchanged for the good for your skin negative ions.

The mask costs EUR 59.95.

Monoi Tiare Petal Exfoliant

OGRA's exfoliant is very good too, but I am not a huge fan of physical exfoliants. I recently got hooked on chemical exfoliation which I am going to talk about at some point in my other posts. It is still a good product and, if you do like to exfoliate, you are going to like OGRA's product.

Price EUR 41.95.

Final Word

Have you ever heard of Irish peat or any other peat benefits? Have you heard of OGRA? Which cosmetic ingredient do you value the most?

No Poo or Low Poo for Fabulous Looking Hair (by Davina Shah)

I am obsessed with one thing in life - HAIR! I want it thick, lustrous, dandruff and grease free.  So what’s a girl gotta do? Apparently, ditch commercial shampoos and go no poo or low poo (sham‘poo’).

Earlier this year I started my own experiment of trying to go longer between shampooing; you can read the blog post about it here.

All the while I have been unaware of the no poo craze taking the hair world by storm.

What is no poo?

Giving up commercial shampoos and using alternative natural methods that are considered to be healthier for hair and scalp.

What is low poo?

Using commercial products that contain low amounts of substances such as:

• Sulphates
• Silicones
• Parabens
• Saponification – Shampoo bars

Types of no poo methods

There are a few of them that I know:

• Baking Soda followed by an Acid Wash of Apple Cider Vinegar
• Tea rinses – infusing herbs or essential oils in water
• Wash Cloth or Brush Method – wetting hair and using cloth or brush to rub scalps own natural oils from root to tip
• Water only
• Sebum only 

You can also use things such as Egg, Flour, Honey, Lemon Juice, Beer, Clay, Argan Oil, Aloe Vera Gel, Distilled White Vinegar, Coconut Oil etc.

My experience

This week, I went four days without washing my hair (dry shampoo only plus backcombing) and I only used the Babyliss Root Booster on day one. Ha, take that stupid flat hair!  See how happy I look?

Davina after four days without washing her hair

Thanks to this personal experiment I have unknowingly prepared myself for my no poo journey.  Most people go cold turkey and find the process a little harder. However, this doesn’t mean my journey will be without its own challenges!

There are vast amounts of information on the internet relating to no poo methods, low poo methods along with the science and reasoning behind it all.  Lucky for you guys, I have done most of the leg work for you.

If you start your no poo journey and need help along the way, join the No Poo and Low Poo Hair Care Facebook Group which currently has 13,605 members!  Many people share their experiences and are happy to offer help and advice.  Please note, this is an open group.  They use abbreviations, so familiarise yourself with files and pinned posts.

What are the benefits of low poo or no poo?

• Fabulous hair: thicker, shinier, bouncy curls, waves and healthy scalp
• Environmental: less plastic waste and chemicals going down drains
• Economical: not spending money on expensive shampoos, conditioners & styling products

Unfortunately, there isn’t a one size fits all method that will suit everyone.  We are all unique and you will have to find a method that suits you personally.

Things to consider before starting out

Before starting your no poo journey and choosing a treatment method you have to consider the following:

• Quality of water: hard or soft.  Epsom salts soften hard water.
• Hair type: straight, curly or wavy.  Some methods can make hair flat or frizzy.
• Scalp type: dry, normal or greasy.  You may suddenly develop an itchy scalp and will have to adjust or change your treatment.
• Hair colour: dark or light. Some methods can lighten or darken blonde hair.

The Science behind no poo hair care method

Sebum is the natural oil produced by the sebaceous glands on your skin and scalp.  It prevents too much water getting into your skin and too much getting out.  The important thing to remember is that it also prevents the skin and scalp from bacterial and fungal infections.

So earlier in the year when I washed my hair daily, I was stripping the scalp of sebum, forcing the sebaceous glands to overproduce sebum to counteract the drying out effect of commercial shampoos.  Washing hair to counteract the grease became a vicious cycle.

When you break that cycle, the scalp starts to rebalance itself and boom… you are no longer worrying about flat greasy hair at the end of each day!

The skin and scalp needs to be slightly acidic to prevent fungal infections. This is why an Acid Wash such as Apple Cider Vinegar is used after the application of Baking Soda. It restores the PH Balance of the scalp. Baking soda can only be used once every four days to avoid damaging your hair.

Before you try a no poo or low poo method for the first time, wash your hair one last time with a clarifying shampoo.  This will help by removing built up chemicals and can make the process that little bit easier.  When you feel your hair is ready for a wash, you can then embark on your no poo/low poo chosen method.

Step-by-step No Poo Method using Baking Soda and Apple Cider Vinegar Wash (Solution in bottle)

Baking soda

1. Add 1 tablespoon of baking soda to 1 cup of water. If you live in a hard water area, you should use distilled water. Ensure the mixture has dissolved and feels slippery. Add another tablespoon to achieve slippery consistency.
2. Place mixture into a bottle with a pointed tip.
3. Add 2 tablespoons of vinegar to 1 cup of water. Pour into spray bottle and shake to mix. WASH.
4. Wet your hair whilst in the shower. Take your Baking Soda mixture and apply to roots and scalp only using the pointed tip of bottle. Use circular motions with your fingertips onto scalp. Use baking soda once every four days only to avoid damaging your hair.
5. Leave solution for a little while in until it feels slippery. Use this time to wash your body.  Rinse well.
6. CONDITION Take your spray bottle containing Apple Cider Vinegar and Water mixture and spray well on to the length and ends of your hair as well as your scalp.  Leave for a minute or so and rinse well. *YOUR HAIR WILL NOT SMELL OF VINEGAR ONCE IT DRIES*

Step-by-step No Poo Method using Baking Soda and Apple Cider Vinegar Wash (Baking Soda Paste)

• Place Baking Soda in an air tight container and keep it in your shower.
• Wet hair well.
• Take one tablespoon of Baking Soda and put into a wet hand. It will start to dissolve and have a paste-like consistency. WASH. Use baking soda only once every four days to avoid damaging your hair.
• Pick up small amounts of the paste and apply with fingertips to roots and scalp. Massage the scalp and once again DO NOT apply to the length of the hair.  Continue over whole head and use more Baking Soda if necessary.
• Leave the Baking Soda on your hair whilst you wash your body. Roots should feel slippery and Baking Soda should have dissolved.
• Rinse well.
• CONDITION. Take your spray bottle containing Apple Cider Vinegar and Water mixture and spray well on to the length and ends of your hair as well as your scalp.  Leave for a minute or so and rinse well.

How to Cope with Dry/Waxy Feeling Hair?

• Use a non-oil Deep Conditioner such as fresh aloe vera and honey.
• Add a small amount of coconut or jojoba oil to your hair after washing and drying.  Rub a tiny amount into palms and pass lightly through your hair – avoiding the roots. *Coconut oil penetrates deep into the hair shaft, whereas Jojoba acts like natural sebum and it is great for hair and skin.*
• Allow your hair to dry naturally.
• Keep your hair up during the transition, use hair accessories or scarves and hats.
• Try brushing your hair with a 100% Boar Bristle Brush.  It distributes sebum from the roots of your hair right through to the tip.
• Use the solution method not the paste and increase the baking soda by 1/2 (or until the solution reaches the desired slippery consistency).

I have been three days no poo but had to reach for a can of dry shampoo today.  You can use alternatives such as cocoa powder, corn starch and root powder which apparently work just as well!
My scalp felt a little itchy at first but it seems to have calmed itself down.  I will try the solution next time once I get my pointy tip plastic bottles.

Not quite ready to go no poo?  Check out these commercial low poo online stores:
DrOrganic
GreenPeople
Purenuffstuff


Also, check out Davina’s latest interview article with legendry Indian actress Shabana Azmi.  Out now in DIVA Magazine (DEC 2014). You can find it here.

Cuisinart Compact Juicer Review, DEMO and User Instructions

I have never reviewed any juicers on my blog so far, however, at least some of you will remember that I like squeezing a few fruit once or twice a week or, if mood takes me, even more often.

Cuisinart Compact Juicer

It is very important to have a good juicer as having a device that does not work well or is difficult to clean and maintain may discourage you from juicing all together. So far I have been using the same old Phillips juicer for a few years. Even though I can't complain about it too much, it has some faults. One of the biggest one is that pulp come out way too watery, which means that I am wasting lots of fruit. Nevertheless, I am not here to talk about my granny Phillips juicer today. I received a new spanky Cuisinart Compact Juicer from housemakers, which is going to be the subject of this blog post. You can buy your Cuisinart juicing machine here.

I have only used the mentioned device once, so I won't be able to comment on its long term reliability, however, there are a few things that I can tell.

Cuisinart Compact Juicer's parts

Here are my few observations:

• It's very easy to assemble.
• Easy to wash. It doesn't have thousands of small parts that make washing difficult, thus, putting us off juicing all together.
• Juices fruit and vegetables very well.
• Pulp comes out quite hard, which means it doesn't waste lots of apples, pears, oranges and so on, which is what my old juicer does.
• It has an adjustable flow spout which stops the juice from running in case you have to remove the pitcher.
• The instructions manual comes with a bunch of recipes for you to try out. 
• From instructions I gathered that it was supposed to come with a brush that makes cleaning of the machine easier, however, my device didn't have it. It's not a big deal though as I have my own way to clean a juicer and plenty of brushes that do the job very well. I'm going to share how I do it at the end of the post.
• There is one negative point for me though. The juicer has too small juice pitcher (500ml). I tend to make drinks for myself and my two children, so I would have to stop the electric drink maker, pour the juice out, put the pitcher back under the machine and finish juicing. It's not a deal breaker and I guess for people who only make one average sized glass for themselves the container will be more than enough.

A few details from the instructions manual

I have not bothered to type all the info from the manual, however, in the pictures below you will see the following information:

• Product description.
• Some of the safety cautions.
• Assembling and dismantling the juicing machine.
• Using the juicer.
• Cleaning and maintenance.
• UK after sales service information.
• A list of recipes that come with the instructions manual.

Cuisinart Compact Juicer User Manual

Cuisinart Compact Juicer's parts and safety cautions

Assembling and dismantling, using the device instructions

Cleaning and maintenance, UK after sales service information

Juice recipe list in Cuisinart Compact Juicer's manual

Can't make the kids eat fruit and veg? Make them drink it!

All in all, Cuisinart Compact Juicer is a good juicer that I would happily recommend to others. If you don't juice yet, you should really think about it. Juice has lots of benefits and it's really good for kids who don't eat any fruit. If you can't make them eat a carrot, juice it, mix it up with an apple, a pear and they will get their portion of vitamins in a liquid form. For me this is magic as my little girl does not eat any fruit and she only eats one or two types of vegetables that have to be boiled and hidden inside some other food. Giving her a balanced meal can be a bit of a challenge.

Cleaning the juicer may be a piece of cake if you know this awesome trick

Before the end I would like to tell you how I manage to quickly clean the filter of my juicer. Cleaning the filter can be the most annoying part about the whole juicing experience, but it's a lot easier if you know how to make it quicker and easier. I use a small knife and scrape the filter first, then I use a brush to finish it off. Knife scrapes off the stuck in the filter fruit much quicker than a brush alone. Happy juicing!

YouTube video

Below is a YouTube Video with the demonstration of the mentioned Cuisinart device (first impressions video)

Have you tried a Cuisinart Compact Juicer? Which brand device do you have or have had? What is important about this type of machine for you? Do you juice at all?