Fairy in training - not enough magic for me (Fairy Clean & Care Silk and Orchid Wul)

Member Name: sweetiebum

Product:	Fairy Clean & Care Silk and Orchid Wul
Date:	17/11/08 (289 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Looks good enough to use in the bath

Disadvantages: No different to ordinary washing up liquid

Washing up. Its a touchy subject in my house. I used to quite like washing up when I lived on my own, when it was just me and my mess. However after moving in with my partner and the washing up being always being a constant source of frustration my opinions have quickly changed. I don't just dislike washing up, in fact I detest it. When I go shopping I always try to buy a different kind of washing up liquid in an attempt to spur me on to wash up more often or even more miraculously get me to love washing up. On one of my recent shopping trips I decided to try Silk and Orchid from the new Fairy Clean and Care range.

What initially drew me to this range was the fact that when all of the bottles were lined up on the shelves they did not look anything like traditional washing up. In fact I had to do a double take to check I wasn't buying bubble bath or some kind of luxury soap. The liquid glistens and glimmers particularly under the bright lights of the supermarket and this reminded me of bubble bath. With my love of bubble baths I couldn't resist trying this range. The Silk and Orchid one is a lilac in colour and looks nothing like traditional washing up liquid because it is opaque and pearlescent. The other scents in the range also come in similar shimmery pastel colours.

Unlike traditional bottles of washing up liquid, this range comes in a more contemporary shaped bottle. The bottle is sleek and gently curves to the flip top lid. The bottle has a grooved part designed to make the bottle easier to hold and also adds to the general pretty design of the bottle. This is quite handy especially when you have wet hands as the top part almost fits over your fingers so doesn't slip. Apart from the shapely design of the bottle, like most other good quality brands the plastic feels suitably sturdy enough that it will not break easily. However, it isn't completely rigid so that you can't squeeze the bottle to release the product. Another good point about the bottle is the fact that it is transparent so you can see exactly what the product looks like and how much you have left after using it.

Like any other bottle of washing up liquid the product is easy enough to dispense. All you do is flip the lid at the top of the bottle and pour as much as required. When you flip the lid you can faintly smell the silk and orchid fragrance. It's difficult to precisely describe the smell exactly, however it does smell slightly flowery. I wouldn't say that this is an overpowering scent but it does become more powerful after you've used it. I find the scent does stay on my hands for a little while after using it and as it is a pleasant and fresh smell I don't mind it.

The hole at the top is suitably large enough to dispense the right amount of liquid with precision. In my attempts to try as many different brands as possible this one fares quite well when it comes to dispensing the product. The hole is not too large that you end up with far too many bubbles yet is large enough that you don't have to squeeze the bottle very hard to get the product to come out.

I find the best way to get the most out of this liquid is to make sure that I add the liquid when I have the taps running, that way I get more bubbles out of it. If I just squirt the liquid into the bowl then run the taps I find I don't get many bubbles and the water does not last as long. However if I use it as directed then the bubbles are long lasting and effective in cleaning even stubborn dried on food. The bubbles that this liquid produces are soft and don't make my hands dry out. However, Fairy claims that these ranges of liquids are meant to 'pamper your hands' by keeping them 'soft and moisturised'. Although after using this my hands were not dry, I am yet to be convinced that they are any more moisturised than when using any other good quality liquid.

Overall, for £1.37 a bottle I would have to think twice before purchasing it on a regular basis. However, if it was on offer I wouldn't hesitate to stock up purely because the girly purple liquid looks pretty in my kitchen.

Summary: Nothing special apart from the lovely colour