Well, it seems I have spoken too soon!...If your after NZ made deoderant too check out www.regenerate.co.nz, www.riasoap.co.nz or www.ecostoredirect.co.nz.

A year without deoderant or shaving?

As soon as I came to terms with not being able to buy hairspray I ran out of deoderant. I have scoured the supermarkets, pharmacies and health shops but can't find any made here. So what do I do?...go without? I've heard that if you go for long enough without using it you don't need it anymore, your body just adapts. I have also heard from people that have tried it that it doesn't work. Google told me my other options were vinegar, lemon or baking soda. I tried the lemon but not only did it not work, it stung and left aweful marks on my shirt too. I figure deoderant is just one of the luxuries I won't be able to do without but where should I buy it? The local chemist or the supermarket? I figure as long as the supermarket is a franchise it's the same as buying it from a local shop so it doesn't matter where I buy it. Razors also aren't made here and I'm down to my last one. Should I get waxes? Even if I can't find a wax made here I figure if I go to a local beautician it's ok, surely it's the same as getting the local dressmaker to make me clothes? Either that or I buy one of those cut throat razors that I can get sharpened, at least that will reduce the amount of non NZ made things I need to buy. I do have an electric one but I've never liked it and I would have to buy Chinese made batteries to power it.

I just used the last of my hairspray. So far I have been unable to find any New Zealand made stuff so it's either a year of no hair spray or try to make some. I'm thinking maybe a bit of salt or lemon water might do the trick. I don't imagine it working anything like hair spray out of a can though. I envisage the salt water making my hair quite dull, just like after a day at the beach. Not sure if I really want to smell like lemons all the time either.

Could a local dressmaker be the answer?

As it was so easy to find Easter egg moulds and I couldn’t afford New Zealand made clothes I typed “NZ made” into Trademe’s search bar. It uncovered a lot more than I expected. Some of it was second hand but there was quite a bit of new stuff. It seems small businesses are using Trademe as another outlet for their products; most had links to their own websites.

This seems such a good way for them to compete with established New Zealand clothing companies. Small businesses can’t afford advertising as big companies can so Trademe is a perfect. I got a really nice brand new merino jersey for $20. I’m sure I would never have found one of that quality for that cheap in a shop.

This got me thinking though. I could ask my local dressmaker to make me clothes. They would be made here and the money would stay here. For an item of clothing to be considered NZ made it has to be designed and made here, the material can be imported.

Can I skip a step and make stuff myself then? I’d actually have to buy the material instead of paying someone else to buy it though but there are people here who go overseas and bring material back. If I do have to buy it it makes sense to buy it from someone like that than a big store like       Spotlight but it would still mean buying something that isn’t NZ made. No matter where I get my clothes though, someone at some point in the chain has had to buy the material.

Fortunately I don’t have a problem paying someone to sew for me, it’s a lot easier than getting frustrated and giving up which would be the inevitable conclusion of doing it myself.


Photos: Trekkyandy via Flickr
            Shoes on wires via Flickr

A New Zealand Made Easter

My flatmates proposed an easter egg hunt this year. At that stage I still hadn't managed to find any New Zealand made easter eggs so I told them I would hide some Peanut Slabs or Sante bars. Outraged, they demanded I make some instead.

I thought, surely if I can't find NZ made eggs, I won't be able to find NZ made chocolate molds so I jumped on Trademe to see if there were any second hand ones going.

I didn't find any second hand ones but did find a couple who run a business called Homestyle Chocolates. They make everything from chocolates to molds. You can even order personalised molds! In Christchurch they sell out of Spotlight, Bin Inn and Icing Specialists.

Unfortunately I lost track of time and suddenly there were public holidays all over the place so I never got a chance to grab some molds. Thankfully though I found Cadbury's marshmallow eggs are made here. I had assumed they weren't as all the other Cadbury eggs I looked at were made overseas, mostly in the UK.

Apparently The Warehouse had a good selection of NZ made easter eggs too. I didn't get a chance to get there before they sold out (I thought they would have the same range as the supermarket) but according to my flatmate there were quite a few there with the "made in New Zealand" logo on them.


Photo courtesy of Lotus Head via Wikimedia Commons