We think it’s about time the boy wizard shaved.  No, we’re not referring to Daniel Radcliffe dropping his strides in the stage production, Equus.

We’re talking about the 16-year-old Harry Potter in his latest outing in The Half Blood Prince.  You know the old saying: “old enough to court your best friends younger sister, old enough to put cold steel to face”.  You don’t?  Ok, maybe it’s just us.

In any case, Aesop’s Moroccan Neroli Shaving Serum is the best thing we’ve seen for a close, smooth shave – whether you’re a novice like Harry, or a dark master like Voldemort (he certainly wouldn’t be sporting those unsightly shaving cuts).

It’s not entirely natural (something we normally prefer), but it is a highly effective silicone-free daily use serum that lubricates and calms as you shave, with maximum glide.  Aesop recommend using only ‘one squirt’ each time but, to be honest, you need a little more if the magic’s gonna happen.

We haven’t tried it, you know, downstairs (perhaps Radcliffe has), but if you do decide to play on the Quidditch pitch, mind you hang onto your broom.

When it comes to shaving we’re old enough to know there are no magic potions, however in this case an Aesop fable makes far better reading than a J.K. Rowling fantasy.

Where to buy:
In the physical world you can buy it at Liberty of London department store in Regent St.  In the wizard world, go to www.mankind.co.uk in the UK or www.barneys.com in the US.  We recommend you use the Moroccan Neroli Shaving Serum along with the King of Shaves Azor Razor.

Consorcio Chicolero is a Mexican consortium that have taken their maxim directly out of an Italian Premier’s book: “make sure it don’t stick”. Their natural, biodegradable chewing gum, Chicza, does exactly that.

Made from naturally occurring chicle gum from the Mayan rainforest, Chicza is no stickier than a blob of Blu Tack and when disposed of crumbles to dust in a matter of weeks. Having already survived several corruption investigations, Silvio Berlusconi is equally adept at avoiding politically sticky ends.

The conventional, artificial, highly adhesive stuff, by comparison, is made from non-biodegradable petrol-based polymers (i.e. plastics) and sticks to pavements and shoes like a paid escort to her Villa Certosa attendance fee.  Ridding Britain’s streets of traditional chewing gum can cost taxpayers an eye-watering £413 million per year – a little something to chew on the next time you take a stroll around Leicester Square.

Grabbing yourself a pack of Chicza also gives you the moral high ground.   It’s the ultimate fair-trade product, providing support for around 10,000 people (2,000 gum farmers – chicoleros – and their families).  Berlusconi might do better to take a leaf out of Consorcio Chicoleros book then.

We did find Chicza a little hard to get going, but once you hit your stride it’s a deeply satisfying chew (not dissimilar to Patrizia D’Addario’s description of the alleged tryst with Berlusconi).   The natural flavouring is more subtle than its competitors (something the Italian leader has never be accused of), but in our view this is a plus.

If you, like us, lack Berlusconi’s political footwork, avoid a sticky situation with a good honest chew.

Where to buy:
Chicza comes in heirloom lime, wild mint and spearmint flavours and is currently available only in the UK at Waitrose stores and the Wahaca Mexican Restaurant, in London, Covent Garden (which, by the way, The Cuts The Mustard Team also recommends).  For further information visit www.chicza.com.

The G8’s been accused of it.  The i-GO’s designed to fix it.

If you knew that i-GO is a revolutionary new brand of contact lenses you wouldn’t be surprised to learn that we’re talking about short-sightedness.

i-GO contact lenses miraculously correct your vision while you sleep, leaving you lens-free all day.  “Sleep, see, go” is their slogan (we understand the G8 are more prone to a “go, see, sleep” approach).

Thanks to the development of computer controlled diagnostics, they work by gently pressing on the eye to restore it to the shape of someone with normal vision.  Since the cornea is elastic, when the lens is removed in the morning it retains the shape created by the lens (what next, the i-BRA?).  It also means that the effects are temporary.  Hence the inevitable drawback – a need to wear them every night (or maybe every other if you’re lucky).

Not the silver bullet myopics have been looking for, then (no doubt the G8 leaders will be disappointed).  Nonetheless, in our view, this is an excellent start.

In fact, we think they’re Gr8.  They’re safe (high gas permeability means the eyes ‘breathe easy’), enable you to go about your day without the bother of lenses (for water sports they’re a godsend), and avoid the risk of having your eyeballs barbequed (otherwise known as laser surgery).  They also act as normal corrective lenses, should you need them.

However we recognize that, at the end of the day, it’s a personal choice.   And since they can only be prescribed by registered opticians, we suggest you have that discussion with them – along with the finer points of the G8 draft communiqué (if that’s what floats your boat).

Unlike our esteemed leaders at the G8, we at least will rest easy in the knowledge that short-sightedness can be fixed by nothing more than a good night’s sleep.

Where to enquire:

i-GO Overnight Vision Correction (OVC) lenses are exclusively available through qualified i-GO accredited opticians.  Go to www.igolenses.com for more information.  Note that i-Go lenses can only correct short-sightedness for those with a prescription of up to -5.00D.

Getting into hot water is not necessarily a bad thing – provided you carefully watch the level.
 

It’s an art that both the Eco Kettle and Sacha Baron Cohen (aka Bruno and Borat) are familiar with.  Although with his latest film, Cohen very nearly goes over the top.
 

The Eco Kettle, meanwhile, has turned the art into a science, using an internal reservoir to release just the right amount of water into a separate boiling chamber (simply fill to capacity and boil between one and eight cups as needed).  Bruno’s approach is less measured … and more gut feel. The concept of ‘virtuous separation’ – in his case good vs bad taste – is clearly not his cup of tea.
 

By boiling only what you need (and saving up to 50 light bulbs worth of power in the process!) the Eco Kettle helps you to moderate your crimes against the environment.  By contrast, Cohen has the moral crusaders constantly on the boil - adding crimes against the vainglorious (Bruno), to his already long list of misdemeanours against Middle America (Borat).
 

While Bruno’s fashion sense might not be to your liking (call it fashionista gauche), the Eco Kettle has a simple and effortless style to match its green credentials – it certainly wouldn’t look out of place in a ‘white goods haute couture’ line up.  Bruno may not approve, but then he doesn’t normally hang with the tea and coffee set.
 

So, if you’re looking to make a statement, matched with a little restraint, turn up the heat … without going over the top.

Where to buy:
The Eco Kettle is available from Amazon.co.uk.  You can also buy it direct from www.ecokettle.com.

In the UK cabinet this week the question on everybody’s lips is: who will be the King of Knaves?

In the bathroom cabinet the answer is clearer: the Azor by King of Shaves.  It’s won numerous awards for good reason.  The design is not about the ‘tinkering at the edges’ that’s gone on for so long by messrs Gillette and Wilkinson.  The Azor is a quiet revolution.

It’s light, easy to hold, enables you to see what you’re doing, and looks like no other razor out there.  Most importantly, it works.  Not like your average politician then.

It takes time to get used to, but it’s worth the effort.  Of course there will undoubtedly be those who don’t like it … but then they probably still hold their spoon with an overhand grip.

Nonetheless, as with all candidates, there are drawbacks.  For example we found that it doesn’t really get up your nose (not normally considered a problem in parliament).  This was easily overcome however by harking back to our childhood – we just pushed a little harder!

So what will it be in your bathroom: out with the old and in with the new?  Surely, at the very least, it’s time for a cabinet reshuffle.

Where to buy:
The King of Shaves Azor Hybrid Synergy System Razor is available from www.Amazon.co.uk.  Eight and four pack Endurium replacement blades also available. 

The Azor (and Azure for Women) are also available from Boots, Morrissons, Sainsbury’s, Superdrug, Tesco and Waitrose throughout the UK and can be purchased online in the UK and USA at www.kmishop.com.