Hong Kong shopping news 2025: latest drops, offers, and collabs
The Otto blend mixes cardamom, rose, and woody notes for an edgy yet refined vibe, while Sage combines eucalyptus and cedarwood for a calming escape. The original Tomato spray remains a bestseller with its fresh herbal notes. All three use innovative technology to neutralise odours safely around fabrics, pets, and sensitive skin.
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Daily Mirror
07-08-2025
- Daily Mirror
Shoppers say 'brilliant' £25 skincare buy 'gets rid of spots overnight'
'Nothing compares. It's my holy grail product and something I wouldn't be without' There's nothing quite like a pimple popping up right before an important event to ruin your vibe, whether it's a wedding, job interview or first date. While countless products claim to zap zits, one treatment has shoppers saying they'll never use anything again: the MALIN+GOETZ 10% Sulfur Paste. This overnight drying lotion is designed to shrink blemishes fast, without turning a skincare routine into a 10-step mission. Formulated with a blend of sulphur and salicylic acid, the £25 treatment works to dry out spots, absorb excess oil and target impurities beneath the surface. Using it couldn't be easier. Dip a cotton swab into the bottle (no shaking or mixing required), dab directly onto the breakout and leave it on overnight. Take note, though, that this is a once-a-night kind of treatment and applying it too much can cause excessive dryness. 'I tried Rodial's cult £45 setting powder with a 5,000 person waitlist' Primer that 'fills fine lines' gets 66-year-old 'compliments' from 30-year-olds Of course, there are plenty more spot solutions out there. Hero Mighty Pimple Patches (£4.99, Boots) offer a simple yet effective way to care for skin. They're discreet enough to apply, making them a convenient option for on-the-go treatment without drawing attention to zits. Otherwise, the CeraVe Blemish Control Gel Moisturiser (£11.99, Amazon) is another option. The formula targets blemishes and blackheads, and can be applied all over the face or on affected areas. As mentioned, the MALIN+GOETZ 10% Sulfur Paste has had some great reviews from shoppers. This person said: "I must be on my 25th bottle of this product. It's the only spot treatment that will get rid of a cyst or spot overnight. It always works and it's brilliant, nothing compares. It's my holy grail product and something I wouldn't be without." A second chimed in: "I have used Eve Lom Dynaspot for years to treat the occasional breakout, but Malin + Goetz Sulfur Paste is far more effective. "It does have a very slight sting when first applied to the skin, but it is relatively mild, and when used in the evening, by morning, there is a noticeable improvement in size and colour of spots. I have normal/slightly dry skin and am not prone to many spots, but this is great to reduce redness when they do appear." However, this user warned: "This serum was far too drying and made my acne more irritated upon use. If you are struggling with acne, it's best to see a professional dermatologist who specialises in acne, as they can recommend the most suitable products. "These kinds of serums are far too strong for people with consistent hormonal acne and scarring, but I can see why those with minor breakouts now and then would enjoy this product." As this reviewer notes, anyone dealing with consistent acne may find it helpful to consult with a dermatologist. Persistent breakouts may need more than topical help, so it's always worth speaking to a professional if you're concerned. Besides that, another great MALIN+GOETZ review reads: "Though it has a bit of a strong smell, it is a staple for me now. It helps with spots, but I also sometimes use it on wider areas when I feel extra oily and like I am breaking out a lot more. It can be a bit annoying as it can flake off, but I don't mind as it does work."
BBC News
24-07-2025
- BBC News
Covid-19: Sir Michael McBride denies he thought coronavirus 'won't happen here'
The chief medical officer has rejected claims that he felt the devastating path coronavirus had wreaked through care homes in Italy at the beginning of the pandemic in 2020 would not occur in Northern Michael McBride has been speaking at the UK Covid-19 told the inquiry that measures were being put in place at the time in conjunction with the UK government, its emergency Cobra committee, scientific advisory group Sage and all relevant bodies in Northern inquiry is currently examining adult and residential care as part of its scrutiny of how the response to the pandemic was handled. Counsel to the inquiry, Jacqueline Carey, asked Sir Michael about evidence given to the hearing on Wednesday from the former commissioner for older people, Eddie said Mr Lynch had stated that the view of the chief medical officer and the chief social worker on the situation in Italy - where elderly people were dying in care homes - was "that won't happen here"."Mr Lynch told us yesterday that his general impression in March was that there was an air of unreality, that it wouldn't happen in Northern Ireland," she if he had believed that what was happening in Italy was "not going to reach the shores of Northern Ireland", Sir Michael said: "I fail to understand those comments if I'm really honest."He said he was fully aware of the seriousness of the evolving situation and had met with all the relevant bodies to ensure there was a robust approach to Northern Ireland's preparations."I really don't understand any sense of unreality or lack of urgency," he said."Within days we had introduced, on the 16th March, social distancing, working from home, advising people not to go to pubs and restaurants, so I really don't understand that reflection." When Counsel to the Inquiry asked Sir Michael why care home workers had not been among priority front line workers who were being tested in March 2020, he said that was because Northern Ireland didn't have enough tests."A good example is that on 2 March, the then minister provided a statement to the Executive indicating that we had carried out 150 tests, and one had been positive," Sir Michael said. "That was not what was happening - it did not reflect the reality of how the pandemic was spreading or how rapidly it was spreading."It reflects the fact that in many respects we were running to catch up," added Sir told the inquiry that Northern Ireland's early surge plans lacked "specificity" and there were gaps around infection prevention in the care sector and how the care home sector would engage with hospitals."What I needed to see were overarching plans between the care home and the acute sector across the region, that regional coordination needed to be much more robust." "While there were several people with wide-ranging knowledge of the social care sector, there was no-one within the Department of Health who had specialist knowledge of social care," he said.
Telegraph
22-07-2025
- Telegraph
Take your tomatoes out of the fridge: this is the best way to store them
Tomato season (which runs from June, peaks in July, ending around September) is in full swing – and so is the annual debate about how best to store them. Some swear by the fridge, convinced it keeps them fresh for longer, while others insist this kills their flavour. In many homes, they're left to sunbathe on the windowsill, loiter in the fruit bowl or languish in the tray they came in. So, what's the best approach? Several factors affect how long tomatoes stay in peak condition at home, including variety (there are more than 10,000 types worldwide), ripeness and the distance and conditions they've endured during transport. But how you store them matters just as much. Tomatoes are fussy. Too cold and their texture turns woolly, and their glorious flavour disappears; too warm and they collapse into mush before you can say 'salad'. We spoke to the experts – scientists, retailers and chefs – to find out how to keep tomatoes at their best and make the most of them as they hit their summer peak. Why you shouldn't store tomatoes in the fridge Put a ripe tomato in the fridge and over time, its gorgeous flavour and aroma ebbs away. That's because many of the compounds – known as aroma volatiles – that make them delicious are suppressed at low temperatures, as Professor Graham Seymour, emeritus professor of plant biotechnology at the University of Nottingham, explains: 'when you store tomatoes at 5C, the normal temperature of home fridges, you really do influence and reduce the levels of the aroma volatiles.' He points to a landmark study in the Journal of Food Science, which found that tomatoes stored at 5C for just two days lost a noticeable amount of flavour and scent. After eight days, the drop was even more significant. Texture is also affected by chilling, which is why tomatoes kept in the fridge can sometimes become 'mealy'. Low temperatures damage their cell membranes and disrupts water retention, leading to a dry, grainy texture. The optimum temperature for tomatoes The sweet spot for storing tomatoes is around 20C (about room temperature in the UK), Professor Seymour says. At this temperature, aroma volatiles stay active and the risk of mealy textures is minimal. How best to store ripe tomatoes Ripe tomatoes should last at an ambient temperature of 20C for seven to 10 days. Keep them on the kitchen counter, out of direct sunlight and away from fruit like bananas (see below) to maintain maximum flavour and succulence. Tomatoes don't like airtight containers, so put them out where they can breathe. 'If you're putting them in a low-oxygen environment, perhaps with condensation, this might cause mould to build up,' Professor Seymour says. Tomatoes are climacteric fruits, which means they continue to ripen after picking. If you want to slow the process because you won't use them all straight away, keep them somewhere cool, like a cellar or pantry. 'If you have a suitable storage area at a temperature of 12.5C-14C, then ripening will be slowed,' Professor Seymour says. 'Flavour could still be altered somewhat, but it's much better than storing them at 4-5C in the fridge. I am afraid like most things it's a compromise,' he admits. How best to store underripe tomatoes If you have unripe or hard tomatoes, try keeping them next to bananas or apples – fruits that give off ethylene gas as they ripen. This triggers the tomatoes' own ripening enzymes. Sunshine may help improve the texture and flavour of some unripe specimens – try popping them on a window sill or a sunny spot in the garden. Should tomatoes be stored upside down? Some websites claim that storing tomatoes top-down, or keeping them on the vine once picked, helps them stay fresher for longer. It's plausible, but there's little scientific evidence to support this, says Dr Philip Morley, technical executive officer with the British Tomato Growers' Association. 'Tomatoes still attached to part of the vine may retain moisture for a little longer, although this hasn't been properly studied,' he says. 'And turning tomatoes upside down could, in theory, slow moisture loss through the scar where the stalk was.' Any benefit would depend on the variety and skin thickness of the tomatoes, and the room temperature they're stored in, he says. How to store tomatoes in packets Some supermarket tomatoes are sold in plastic packets with perforations to allow airflow and reduce condensation. These designs aim to protect the tomatoes during transport and prevent moisture build-up, which can lead to mould. Nick Brooke, from the fresh produce team at Waitrose, agrees tomatoes should be kept out of the fridge but advises to keep them in their original packaging,' to preserve their flavour. 'Open them when they are required for maximum freshness,' he says. 'Once they are open, we recommend that they are placed back in their wrap and sealed or re-covered.' Other factors that affect the lifespan of a tomato Tomatoes have different lifespans for many reasons, including the variety and how far they've travelled. Very hard tomatoes that are a pale orange-red colour – often significantly cheaper than others – will keep for weeks out of the fridge, but the trade-off will be lack of flavour. 'Many commercial tomatoes contain a mutation called the ripening inhibitor mutation,' says Professor Seymour. 'It slows ripening down, so very cheap tomatoes can seem to last forever, but this can also affect taste as well. They're often as hard as cannon balls.' Size matters too. Cherry tomatoes have a higher surface-area-to-volume ratio than bigger varieties, which means they lose moisture quicker and are prone to drying out in extremely hot conditions, says Dr Morley. The difference might be slight, but if your kitchen feels like a furnace in summer, larger tomatoes are more likely to stay in good nick for longer. To improve your odds of both flavour and shelf life, Dr Morley suggests buying British-grown tomatoes. These are typically produced in glasshouses, carefully handled, picked when ripe and travel shorter distances to your plate than imported ones. 'If you buy ones from Morocco or Spain, they tend to use long shelf life varieties,' he says. 'Also, British tomatoes haven't gone through the supply chain, rattled around in crates and been exposed to different temperatures.' The shorter the journey from plant to plate, the longer tomatoes are likely to stay in peak condition. He recommends producers such as Isle of Wight Tomatoes, which sells a wide range of varieties – coeur de boeuf, cherry vine, san arrentino plums – and colours direct to consumers. Home-grown or farmer's market tomatoes generally aren't bred to ripen slowly, so they're never going to outlive supermarket cannonballs. But they've been spared the knocks, chills and long journeys of their shop-bought counterparts – and that not only means they taste better but often keep surprisingly well too. How to store tomatoes in the freezer Tomatoes can be frozen whole or chopped, but due to their high water content, they're best used in cooking once defrosted. According to the anti-food waste charity Love Food Hate Waste, blanching tomatoes before freezing can help preserve the texture. Whole cherry tomatoes can be frozen and added straight from the freezer to soups or stews. Got a squishy tomato glut? Cook it into a sauce and freeze that instead. What to do with underripe tomatoes… Claire Thomson, chef and author of Tomato (Quadrille, £24), recommends cooking underripe tomatoes. Thickly slice 500g tomatoes, season, then dredge in flour, beaten egg, and finally panko breadcrumbs. Carefully deep fry until golden and transfer to a baking dish. Mix 100ml double cream with a chopped garlic clove, a few sprigs of thyme or rosemary, and 1 tsp Dijon mustard. Pour over the tomatoes, top with grated Parmesan, and bake at 200C/180C fan/gas mark 6 for 15-20 minutes until golden and bubbling. …and overripe tomatoes Overripe tomatoes make fantastic, easy cold soup: blitz 750g overripe tomatoes, 75g stale bread, a handful of blanched almonds, a couple of garlic cloves, a few mint leaves and a good glug of extra virgin olive oil in a food process or blender. Season well and serve chilled.
