Kokova Magazine

With the beautiful British countryside in full bloom and our gardens bustling with wildlife, 'original' elderflower cordial producer Belvoir Fruit Farms is inviting you to capture the magic of nature on film to win a Greek holiday. The photographic competition will be raising money for Butterfly Conservation, the UK charity dedicated to saving butterflies, moths and our environment and will be judged by the charity's vice president, Chris Packham.

According to the RSPCA, new figures show an alarming increase in the number of pets being abandoned, with more than 37,000 animals being dumped across England and Wales in the past year. This is a rise of 9,000 (34%) from the previous year, with financial difficulties being listed as one of the reasons people are getting rid of their pets. Every year the charity sees a sharp rise in abandonments at the height of summer and evidence from the RSPCA and other animal charities suggests some people chose to get rid of their pets rather than pay for them to be looked after while they are on holiday.

The BBC's new period drama 'The White Queen' is causing a drama of a different kind - that of historical inaccuracy. The lavish production is based on the novel by Philippa Gregory and set in 1464 during the War of the Roses, but look closely and behind the simpering stares and brooding brows lurk modern day anachronisms that are all too prevalent. These include metal hand rails, bricks, modern guttering, zips, nail polish and clothes pegs.

Summer is here and it's time to get those feet and fingers ready for parties, pools, flip-flops and festivals. Fiskars, the world's No. 1 scissor brand have put the fun into functional with their new Bubble manicure scissors - a splash of gorgeous colours with the super sharp blades you'd expect from Fiskars.

Lately we have found the trend towards 'natural & organic' skincare a little confusing and in light of the recent report from the Soil Association regarding the harmful chemicals found in organically labelled products, we decided to look a little closer at the synthetic market vs the natural choice. The International Institute of Anti-Aging (iiaa) are the official UK distributors of Environ Skincare, Jane Iredale natural mineral make-up and the Advanced Nutrition Programme (ANP) beauty supplements, so we visited their Skin3 salon in Swiss Cottage, London and began trialling their range.

Recent news from the Soil Association highlights further concerns regarding the beauty industry and the number of harmful chemicals found in beauty products labelled as 'organic' and 'natural' or 'nature inspired'. According to the Soil Association, ingredients often found in antifreeze, floor cleaner, oven cleaner or car oil and ingredients banned in children's food and toys are making their way into non-certified beauty products labelled as organic or natural due to a lack of industry regulation.