0:00:03 > 0:00:05Take a look around your home.
0:00:07 > 0:00:10Can you be sure that every appliance is safe?
0:00:12 > 0:00:15Is everything a company tells you about a product true?
0:00:17 > 0:00:21And are you getting the best value for your money?
0:00:21 > 0:00:24With the help of the country's top experts, we're going to see
0:00:24 > 0:00:28what it takes to test the household products we use every day.
0:00:32 > 0:00:35We'll discover how they're pushed to their limits...
0:00:37 > 0:00:39..we'll put the makers' claims on trial...
0:00:41 > 0:00:45..and show you how to make your money go further.
0:00:45 > 0:00:47You'll find these products in any ordinary house.
0:00:47 > 0:00:51But this is no ordinary house...
0:00:51 > 0:00:53and no ordinary street.
0:00:53 > 0:00:55This is the Watchdog Test House.
0:01:01 > 0:01:05Hello, we're deep inside one of Britain's leading science centres.
0:01:05 > 0:01:08Here at the Building Research Establishment,
0:01:08 > 0:01:12some of the products and materials that we use every day
0:01:12 > 0:01:14are put to the test
0:01:14 > 0:01:17to make sure that they're safe, environmentally friendly
0:01:17 > 0:01:19and that they don't fall apart.
0:01:19 > 0:01:23Coming up on today's programme - the cycle helmet.
0:01:23 > 0:01:26It saved James Cracknell's life.
0:01:26 > 0:01:31The wing mirror hit the back of my head at 65-70mph.
0:01:31 > 0:01:32If I hadn't been wearing a helmet,
0:01:32 > 0:01:35then my head probably wouldn't be on my shoulders,
0:01:35 > 0:01:36that's the reality.
0:01:36 > 0:01:39How testing to the latest standards helps ensure
0:01:39 > 0:01:42it's got the best chance of saving yours.
0:01:42 > 0:01:45Four women, four lipsticks, one lucky man.
0:01:45 > 0:01:48Do these products really last as long as they claim?
0:01:48 > 0:01:50We put them to the test.
0:01:52 > 0:01:56- Wow.- And the hidden dangers that used to be in our homes.
0:01:56 > 0:01:58I hadn't realised this but did you know that
0:01:58 > 0:02:01the bread in your toaster could go up in flames?
0:02:01 > 0:02:04The Watchdog stories that led to a safer kitchen.
0:02:04 > 0:02:07Future toasters will be able to cope with the kind of conflagration
0:02:07 > 0:02:10that we found out in our tests which is excellent news.
0:02:14 > 0:02:18Every year, thousands of cyclists are killed or seriously
0:02:18 > 0:02:22injured on our roads, but how many of them were wearing one of these?
0:02:22 > 0:02:26Some cyclists don't like them but the Government encourages wearing
0:02:26 > 0:02:31a correctly fitted helmet as it may reduce head injuries and save lives,
0:02:31 > 0:02:33as one Olympian knows all too well.
0:02:33 > 0:02:39On 20 July 2010, double Olympic gold medallist James Cracknell was
0:02:39 > 0:02:43cycling on Route 66 across America when a fuel tanker knocked him
0:02:43 > 0:02:45off his bike.
0:02:45 > 0:02:50The wing mirror hit the back of my head at 65-70mph.
0:02:50 > 0:02:52If I hadn't been wearing a helmet, that would be it.
0:02:52 > 0:02:56My head probably wouldn't be on my shoulders, that's the reality.
0:02:56 > 0:02:58James was airlifted to hospital where
0:02:58 > 0:03:02he spent a week in a medically induced coma before being
0:03:02 > 0:03:05brought round to begin the long recovery process.
0:03:06 > 0:03:12Brain injury is very different to recover from because it controls
0:03:12 > 0:03:17so much of your body, or, in fact, all your body and so different
0:03:17 > 0:03:20areas of the brain that get damaged results in different behaviour,
0:03:20 > 0:03:23different physical issues.
0:03:23 > 0:03:26I have epilepsy now.
0:03:26 > 0:03:28I have no sense of smell or sense of taste.
0:03:28 > 0:03:29All things that
0:03:29 > 0:03:34when you're 24 hours away from never seeing your kids again you'd accept
0:03:34 > 0:03:38but on a daily basis actually every time I have had a seizure,
0:03:38 > 0:03:42you can't drive for a year which then puts more strain on your wife
0:03:42 > 0:03:44and the kids and that's hard.
0:03:44 > 0:03:49But compared to the other end of the scale which is where
0:03:49 > 0:03:54I was nearly at, is not being here at all, is a huge positive.
0:03:54 > 0:03:58Although there are currently no laws regarding the protective equipment
0:03:58 > 0:04:02for cyclists, the Highway Code recommends wearing a cycle helmet.
0:04:02 > 0:04:05It's widely believed that this improves your chances
0:04:05 > 0:04:07of survival in an accident.
0:04:07 > 0:04:14You're on a public highway, you cannot predict other people's
0:04:14 > 0:04:19behaviour on that highway so you need to make sure you are protected.
0:04:19 > 0:04:24When the wing mirror hit the back, bang, it softens that impact.
0:04:24 > 0:04:27The damage to me was that because the impact
0:04:27 > 0:04:31was at the back of the head, the brain hit the front of my skull.
0:04:31 > 0:04:36And that caused significant damage but if you can imagine
0:04:36 > 0:04:40the 70mph impact of a wing mirror to the back of someone's skull,
0:04:40 > 0:04:43it's going to be more than your brain hitting the inside of your skull.
0:04:43 > 0:04:47It's going to be ripped clean off your head and it just,
0:04:47 > 0:04:54the polystyrene cushioning the blow...made all the difference.
0:04:56 > 0:04:58So, if you choose to wear a cycle helmet, how do you know
0:04:58 > 0:05:00it's going to do its job?
0:05:00 > 0:05:04Well, any bicycle helmet on sale in this country has to meet
0:05:04 > 0:05:08certain European standards and all products which comply with
0:05:08 > 0:05:11these standards are legally allowed to bear the CE mark.
0:05:15 > 0:05:18How high are the standards and how rigorously are they tested?
0:05:20 > 0:05:21Find out later.
0:05:27 > 0:05:28Lipstick.
0:05:28 > 0:05:31These days companies aren't just trying to grab our attention
0:05:31 > 0:05:33with the latest shades.
0:05:33 > 0:05:36They're also making bold claims about how long the lipstick
0:05:36 > 0:05:40will stay on but can the products that say they're long-lasting
0:05:40 > 0:05:42really deliver on their promise?
0:05:42 > 0:05:44Let's find out.
0:05:44 > 0:05:46# Lipstick on your collar... #
0:05:46 > 0:05:48No lipstick on my collar, Sophie.
0:05:48 > 0:05:49That's a thing of the past,
0:05:49 > 0:05:52at least it should be with long-lasting lipsticks.
0:05:52 > 0:05:55But I'm no girl, so how do they work, Dr Laura?
0:05:56 > 0:06:00So, lots of the lipsticks these days claim to be long-lasting which means
0:06:00 > 0:06:03that they should stay on throughout the day and throughout the evening.
0:06:03 > 0:06:05In these lipsticks quite often we find
0:06:05 > 0:06:08they contain ingredients such as things like polymers.
0:06:08 > 0:06:10Ah, yes, polymers.
0:06:10 > 0:06:12A chain of molecules which should, in theory,
0:06:12 > 0:06:15make lipsticks cling to your lips and last longer.
0:06:15 > 0:06:19That's the theory, but what about in practice?
0:06:19 > 0:06:21# Fashion... #
0:06:21 > 0:06:24To find out, we've picked lipsticks at a range of prices, all making
0:06:24 > 0:06:28big claims about how long-lasting and durable they are.
0:06:28 > 0:06:32Our most expensive product at £20 is the Estee Lauder Double Wear
0:06:32 > 0:06:33Stay-In-Place Lipstick.
0:06:33 > 0:06:36It claims up to 12 hours staying power. Very bold.
0:06:38 > 0:06:41Our mid-range product is the Revlon Colour Stay Ultimate Suede
0:06:41 > 0:06:46lipstick. It costs £8.99 and claims to be food proof and doesn't quit.
0:06:46 > 0:06:47Apply once and go.
0:06:49 > 0:06:54The cheapest is the Miss Sporty Perfect Colour lipstick at £2.59.
0:06:54 > 0:06:55It promises to add rich
0:06:55 > 0:06:59and gorgeous colour to your lips for up to six hours.
0:06:59 > 0:07:03We'll also be comparing these to the Maybelline Colour Sensational.
0:07:03 > 0:07:07It's priced at about £6.50 but makes no claims about being long-lasting.
0:07:10 > 0:07:14Right, so, that's their vital statistics. Next, to the lab.
0:07:14 > 0:07:18Dr Laura has applied equal amounts of the lipsticks onto
0:07:18 > 0:07:22these sheets of silicone, which is a substance that mimics skin.
0:07:22 > 0:07:24So what we're going to do now is we're going to see how
0:07:24 > 0:07:28resistant these long-lasting lipsticks are to the different
0:07:28 > 0:07:31drinks that you may come across in a typical day.
0:07:31 > 0:07:33Dr Laura's lined up some water, some coffee
0:07:33 > 0:07:37and some ethanol which is the main ingredient in alcohol.
0:07:37 > 0:07:39She'll dip the silicon into each of these containers
0:07:39 > 0:07:41and then blot them onto some paper.
0:07:41 > 0:07:46Then we'll be able to see just how long-lasting they really are.
0:07:46 > 0:07:50First up, the water. The silicon is held in there for ten seconds.
0:07:52 > 0:07:55Here is where product number one would appear
0:07:55 > 0:07:57if it were to have come off and it hasn't.
0:07:57 > 0:07:59Here's where product number two...
0:07:59 > 0:08:01again that hasn't come off at all.
0:08:01 > 0:08:05Product number three which was our Miss Sporty lipstick,
0:08:05 > 0:08:09a small amount has come off but most of it has still stuck to the
0:08:09 > 0:08:12silicon and here's product number four, now this is the one
0:08:12 > 0:08:13that made no
0:08:13 > 0:08:17claims about being long-lasting and you can see it's coming off already.
0:08:17 > 0:08:20So, the more expensive products, the Estee Lauder
0:08:20 > 0:08:23and the Revlon Colour Stay are ahead. Next, the coffee.
0:08:25 > 0:08:27And it's a similar story.
0:08:27 > 0:08:29The cheap Miss Sporty
0:08:29 > 0:08:32and the no-claims Maybelline still not doing very well here.
0:08:32 > 0:08:34The most expensive product, with Estee Lauder,
0:08:34 > 0:08:36is starting to come off.
0:08:36 > 0:08:41But the mid-range Revlon is staying strong and finally the ethanol.
0:08:43 > 0:08:46So what we can see here is products number one
0:08:46 > 0:08:49and two have held up really well in the presence of ethanol.
0:08:49 > 0:08:54Product three, some of that has come off of there
0:08:54 > 0:08:58and then product number four, not much has come off with the ethanol.
0:08:58 > 0:09:01So, in our lab tests the winner seems to be the Revlon.
0:09:01 > 0:09:05The mid-range product which has taken on the triple threat of water,
0:09:05 > 0:09:07coffee and ethanol and won.
0:09:07 > 0:09:09It did better than the Estee Lauder, which is more than
0:09:09 > 0:09:11twice as expensive.
0:09:11 > 0:09:14And both outperformed the cheapest product, Miss Sporty,
0:09:14 > 0:09:16and the Maybelline product, which makes no claims.
0:09:18 > 0:09:22But we need to crank this up a notch. Wine...
0:09:22 > 0:09:24music...
0:09:24 > 0:09:26and romance.
0:09:26 > 0:09:30- Will Revlon have to kiss goodbye to the number one spot?- Wow.
0:09:30 > 0:09:31Find out later.
0:09:37 > 0:09:39Now, take a look at your kettle.
0:09:39 > 0:09:43If it's got a lead, it will be short or coiled. What about plugs?
0:09:43 > 0:09:46Well, you'll see they've all been pre-fitted
0:09:46 > 0:09:48and there's a reason for that.
0:09:48 > 0:09:51Just as there's a reason why your iron is now much less likely
0:09:51 > 0:09:55to catch fire than it was a few years ago. And that reason?
0:09:55 > 0:09:56Watchdog.
0:09:56 > 0:10:00Its former presenter Lynn Faulds Wood made household safety
0:10:00 > 0:10:01a personal mission.
0:10:04 > 0:10:07Welcome to Watchdog. In tonight's programme...
0:10:07 > 0:10:09All these people have written to us...
0:10:12 > 0:10:19The year was 1985 and plastic-sided toasters had just been introduced.
0:10:19 > 0:10:21The makers said they'd designed them
0:10:21 > 0:10:26to help stop people getting burned on hot metal-sided toasters.
0:10:26 > 0:10:30But like many other kitchen appliances in the 1980s,
0:10:30 > 0:10:33these could be surprisingly dangerous.
0:10:33 > 0:10:34I hadn't realised this
0:10:34 > 0:10:38but did you know that the bread in your toaster could go up in flames?
0:10:38 > 0:10:40I remember this so well.
0:10:40 > 0:10:41I couldn't believe it
0:10:41 > 0:10:44when I started hearing about fires in people's kitchens.
0:10:44 > 0:10:47All watchdog viewers were doing was taking bread,
0:10:47 > 0:10:50maybe a couple of days old, a bit dry, putting it
0:10:50 > 0:10:55in their toaster on a brown setting and then going out the room and
0:10:55 > 0:10:59coming back a couple of minutes later and finding their toaster on fire.
0:11:00 > 0:11:02As our tests showed.
0:11:02 > 0:11:05Look what happened. That's 4½ minutes.
0:11:05 > 0:11:08You can see there, the plastic's all dripping onto the work surface.
0:11:08 > 0:11:11Watchdog's role then was the same as it is now -
0:11:11 > 0:11:13to investigate your problems
0:11:13 > 0:11:16and encourage companies to put them right...
0:11:16 > 0:11:18which they did.
0:11:18 > 0:11:21Within a year, heat resistant plastic or a metal rim to separate
0:11:21 > 0:11:26the plastic edges from extreme heat had been developed.
0:11:26 > 0:11:29And it wasn't just the manufacturers who took action.
0:11:29 > 0:11:33The British Standards Institution was quickly on the case
0:11:33 > 0:11:36and improved the industry's standards.
0:11:36 > 0:11:39Future toasters will be able to cope with the kind of conflagration
0:11:39 > 0:11:42that we found out in our tests, which is excellent news.
0:11:43 > 0:11:46That safety standard for plastic toasters
0:11:46 > 0:11:48came in before they caused more problems.
0:11:50 > 0:11:53But it wasn't so with another kitchen appliance...
0:11:53 > 0:11:55the kettle.
0:11:55 > 0:11:59Every parent should actually look at the kitchen from a child's eye view.
0:11:59 > 0:12:01They should get down on the floor, have a look round,
0:12:01 > 0:12:03it's quite an adventure playground.
0:12:03 > 0:12:07Long trailing leads or flexes were causing around 1,000 injuries a year
0:12:07 > 0:12:11to young children, scalded by the boiling hot water
0:12:11 > 0:12:14after pulling kettles off kitchen worktops.
0:12:14 > 0:12:16Mummy!
0:12:19 > 0:12:23It was the shocking case of Michael White that first brought this
0:12:23 > 0:12:26to Watchdog's attention in 1985.
0:12:26 > 0:12:31Michael just tripped, reached up to grab something
0:12:31 > 0:12:33and it just happened to be the kettle lead,
0:12:33 > 0:12:37pulled it down, came down on his head and down the side of his face.
0:12:37 > 0:12:40A third of his body was covered in burns,
0:12:40 > 0:12:43an accident that could have been avoided by shortening leads
0:12:43 > 0:12:46or then this simple solution.
0:12:46 > 0:12:50Coiled kettle flexes spring back into position once you've used them.
0:12:50 > 0:12:52Now, these coiled flexes
0:12:52 > 0:12:55could save thousands of families terrible anguish
0:12:55 > 0:12:58and save the National Health Service millions of pounds.
0:12:59 > 0:13:02In the '80s, there were no rules about how long
0:13:02 > 0:13:05a kettle lead should be.
0:13:05 > 0:13:10Watchdog called for coiled flexes, to stop children being scalded,
0:13:10 > 0:13:14but SEAMA, the industry association for small electric appliances,
0:13:14 > 0:13:20claimed coiled flexes would cause as many problems as they solved.
0:13:20 > 0:13:23Well, we did what we think they should have done in the first place.
0:13:23 > 0:13:27We sent copies of this document to all sorts of real experts,
0:13:27 > 0:13:29from Department of Trade's consumer safety unit
0:13:29 > 0:13:31to the British Burns Association.
0:13:31 > 0:13:36All of them said the evidence in their document was unconvincing,
0:13:36 > 0:13:39spurious, irrelevant or just plain wrong.
0:13:39 > 0:13:43We're delighted to say that SEAMA have now had a change of heart.
0:13:43 > 0:13:47So all kettles were to come with coiled or shorter leads,
0:13:47 > 0:13:52a huge success for Watchdog and for all safety campaigners.
0:13:52 > 0:13:55There was also another appliance in your kitchen that desperately
0:13:55 > 0:13:57needed to be made safer.
0:13:57 > 0:14:01It would take the death of a whole family for that to happen.
0:14:03 > 0:14:07The tragedy happened in Wales last year in this house.
0:14:07 > 0:14:10During the night, fire broke out.
0:14:10 > 0:14:15The lady who lived there, she lost her husband and five children.
0:14:15 > 0:14:17Six members of the family wiped out in the fire.
0:14:18 > 0:14:23The cause of the fire - an iron with a faulty thermostat.
0:14:23 > 0:14:27At the time, hardly any had cut-outs to stop them overheating.
0:14:27 > 0:14:31But after Watchdog alerted manufacturers to the dangers,
0:14:31 > 0:14:32they acted.
0:14:32 > 0:14:36Now, what they've done is they've put in thermal cut-outs.
0:14:36 > 0:14:40This is Hoover's. This cost just 17p and they've put this in their irons,
0:14:40 > 0:14:43so if a thermostat fails, the iron will cut out.
0:14:44 > 0:14:48But not all safety campaigns had such a quick resolution.
0:14:51 > 0:14:55For years, many appliances came without a plug.
0:14:55 > 0:14:57We were expected to fit them ourselves.
0:14:58 > 0:15:00We're not electricians.
0:15:00 > 0:15:03Trying to fit your own plug, if you haven't got the skills
0:15:03 > 0:15:06and knowledge, can be very dangerous.
0:15:06 > 0:15:09Watchdog and the Royal Society for Prevention of Accidents
0:15:09 > 0:15:13campaigned for fitted plugs throughout the 1980s.
0:15:13 > 0:15:15But still the industry resisted.
0:15:15 > 0:15:20That is until 1991 when young mother Julie O'Toole died,
0:15:20 > 0:15:23electrocuted because of a badly-fitted plug.
0:15:23 > 0:15:27Following her death, ministers sat down with manufacturers
0:15:27 > 0:15:31and declared that within two years plugs must be fitted as standard
0:15:31 > 0:15:34to all domestic appliances.
0:15:34 > 0:15:36It was a massive victory
0:15:36 > 0:15:39and it was a great move forward on the home safety front.
0:15:41 > 0:15:44It's amazing to think that just 30 years ago,
0:15:44 > 0:15:47the kitchen was such a dangerous place.
0:15:47 > 0:15:51But the manufacturers did eventually take action. They had to.
0:15:51 > 0:15:54Tougher standards means tougher testing.
0:15:54 > 0:15:58And tougher testing means that the products we all use today
0:15:58 > 0:16:00are actually much safer.
0:16:05 > 0:16:08Now, energy-saving light bulbs.
0:16:08 > 0:16:12They can be cheap, long-lasting and good for the environment.
0:16:12 > 0:16:14But how do you choose the product that's going to give you
0:16:14 > 0:16:17the best value whilst giving you the best light?
0:16:17 > 0:16:20Well, here at the Building Research Establishment,
0:16:20 > 0:16:22they are experts in all that.
0:16:22 > 0:16:26So, who better to ask than Peter White?
0:16:26 > 0:16:30Hi, Peter. So, this is a classic light bulb, isn't it?
0:16:30 > 0:16:33This is the one we're all used to. But you can't get these any more.
0:16:33 > 0:16:35No, these have been phased out across much of the world.
0:16:35 > 0:16:39They're so energy inefficient, they're no longer on sale.
0:16:39 > 0:16:41And they've been replaced by what we've got here.
0:16:41 > 0:16:44So, the compact fluorescent that most people would recognise,
0:16:44 > 0:16:46an energy-saving lamp.
0:16:46 > 0:16:47A little halogen lamp.
0:16:47 > 0:16:50And this, the latest to the market which is an LED.
0:16:50 > 0:16:52How long do they all last?
0:16:52 > 0:16:55Well, the bulbs you've got in your hand would last maybe a year,
0:16:55 > 0:16:59if you're lucky. This will last for a couple of years.
0:16:59 > 0:17:01This should last for five to ten years
0:17:01 > 0:17:04and this between 35 and 50 years.
0:17:04 > 0:17:07Up to 50 years?! One bulb could last you 50 years?
0:17:07 > 0:17:12- The rest of our lives.- They are that much more expensive, aren't they?
0:17:12 > 0:17:14These cost a little bit more, it's true.
0:17:14 > 0:17:16But when you work it out over the lifespan,
0:17:16 > 0:17:19these are going to be ultimately just cheaper.
0:17:19 > 0:17:22And what about the quality of the light because I look at that
0:17:22 > 0:17:26and it's had a bad reputation as a slightly dull light,
0:17:26 > 0:17:29- not as good a something like this? - It is true. When you first turn
0:17:29 > 0:17:32these on, they can be a bit dim, they take a while to warm up.
0:17:32 > 0:17:33Shall we turn one on?
0:17:33 > 0:17:35And the light... These aren't so bad now.
0:17:35 > 0:17:37When they first came out, they were a bit blue.
0:17:37 > 0:17:39But now the colour's about right.
0:17:39 > 0:17:41The halogen bulb has come onto the market
0:17:41 > 0:17:44because it's the sort of light people are familiar with.
0:17:44 > 0:17:47- It's got that warm glow...- Very bright.- ..that we've got to know.
0:17:47 > 0:17:51But these are so inefficient that they also will be phased out
0:17:51 > 0:17:54fairly soon, in the same way that the ordinary bulbs were.
0:17:54 > 0:17:57The LED, if I turn this on, it might be a bit blue-looking,
0:17:57 > 0:18:00but it's instantly much brighter than this.
0:18:00 > 0:18:02And in terms of the energy,
0:18:02 > 0:18:04this is using 40 watts,
0:18:04 > 0:18:06this is using 11,
0:18:06 > 0:18:08this is using five.
0:18:08 > 0:18:11So it's a huge saving on the energy.
0:18:11 > 0:18:13So you can make massive savings on your bills,
0:18:13 > 0:18:15- just by changing your light bulbs. - Very quickly.
0:18:15 > 0:18:18This would reduce your bills significantly.
0:18:18 > 0:18:20Over time, once you've offset the cost of buying it,
0:18:20 > 0:18:22this is actually the most efficient.
0:18:22 > 0:18:24Peter, thank you.
0:18:29 > 0:18:31Back to lipsticks now.
0:18:31 > 0:18:34Earlier, our lab tests showed you don't always need to spend
0:18:34 > 0:18:37a fortune to get the best long-lasting performance.
0:18:37 > 0:18:41But how will our lipsticks cope where it really matters,
0:18:41 > 0:18:42in the real world?
0:18:42 > 0:18:45Yes, we're talking wine, brass musical instruments
0:18:45 > 0:18:48and of course the obligatory kiss test.
0:18:51 > 0:18:54Meet Katie, Caitlin, Chloe and Verity.
0:18:54 > 0:18:57These lucky ladies have some very fun tests ahead of them.
0:18:57 > 0:19:00# Je t'aime. #
0:19:00 > 0:19:01As does this lucky man,
0:19:01 > 0:19:05who will be the subject of our Watchdog Test House kissathon.
0:19:05 > 0:19:07OK. Enough of that.
0:19:07 > 0:19:10Grant's actually one of our team and he needs to get back to work.
0:19:10 > 0:19:13Chop chop. First, our volunteers need to apply the lipsticks.
0:19:13 > 0:19:16Katie is wearing our most expensive product at £20.
0:19:16 > 0:19:19The Estee Lauder Double Wear Stay-in-Place lipstick.
0:19:19 > 0:19:22Verity is applying the mid-range Revlon ColourStay Ultimate Suede
0:19:22 > 0:19:24which cost £8.99.
0:19:24 > 0:19:29Chloe has the cheapest product, Miss Sporty Perfect Colour, at £2.59.
0:19:29 > 0:19:32And Caitlin is wearing the product which makes no long-lasting claims,
0:19:32 > 0:19:36the Maybelline Colour Sensational which costs about £6.50.
0:19:37 > 0:19:41As for this machine, Dr Laura is using it to measure what shade of red
0:19:41 > 0:19:43is on their lips at the beginning of the test.
0:19:43 > 0:19:46She'll check each colour again at the end of the test
0:19:46 > 0:19:47to see if it's changed.
0:19:47 > 0:19:52So, let's get down to business. Pucker up, ladies.
0:19:52 > 0:19:55MUSIC: "Kiss" by Prince
0:19:56 > 0:20:02- Hello.- First up, the most expensive lipstick, the Estee Lauder.
0:20:02 > 0:20:05You can see some of that expensive lipstick
0:20:05 > 0:20:06has come off onto your face.
0:20:06 > 0:20:08So, it's not doing too well so far.
0:20:08 > 0:20:11How about the mid-range product, the Revlon?
0:20:12 > 0:20:14Now, the mid-range product has done well.
0:20:14 > 0:20:16I can't see any marks at all on your face.
0:20:16 > 0:20:19The Revlon survived the kiss test. But will the cheapish product
0:20:19 > 0:20:22claiming to be long-lasting, the Miss Sporty, leave its mark?
0:20:24 > 0:20:28Wow. A lot has come off there.
0:20:28 > 0:20:29That doesn't look very good, does it?
0:20:29 > 0:20:33- It doesn't look good at all.- Uh-oh. Not looking good for Miss Sporty.
0:20:33 > 0:20:36Finally, on to the lipstick which makes no claims about being
0:20:36 > 0:20:38long-lasting, the Maybelline.
0:20:41 > 0:20:43Can't see any. Can't see any at all on there.
0:20:43 > 0:20:44That's done really well, actually.
0:20:44 > 0:20:47So, after the kiss test, the mid-range Revlon lipstick
0:20:47 > 0:20:50and the Maybelline which makes no claims about being long-lasting
0:20:50 > 0:20:52are in the lead.
0:20:52 > 0:20:55Phew. After that experience, our ladies need a drink...
0:20:55 > 0:20:58which brings us to our next test.
0:21:01 > 0:21:03The wine glass test. We've cracked open
0:21:03 > 0:21:06some of the finest nonalcoholic wine that money can buy.
0:21:06 > 0:21:08Each of the girls takes a sip
0:21:08 > 0:21:11and Dr Laura checks the glasses for traces of lipstick.
0:21:11 > 0:21:13Three out of the four products perform well -
0:21:13 > 0:21:16the mid-range Revlon, the cheapest product, the Miss Sporty,
0:21:16 > 0:21:19and the product that makes no claims, the Maybelline.
0:21:19 > 0:21:22As for the priciest Estee Lauder lipstick...
0:21:22 > 0:21:27We can see clearly some of it has transferred onto the glass there.
0:21:27 > 0:21:30So, the most expensive of our products, the Estee Lauder,
0:21:30 > 0:21:33is actually doing the worst out of all of the lipsticks
0:21:33 > 0:21:35after our wine glass test.
0:21:35 > 0:21:38So, to our final test. Which one's that again?
0:21:43 > 0:21:47Oh, yeah. Exactly. Our trumpet test. Didn't I say?
0:21:47 > 0:21:52Verity, Chloe, Caitlin and Katie are all members of a trumpet quartet.
0:21:52 > 0:21:56Cue Bach's Three Fugues. Let's see if the lipsticks will survive this.
0:22:05 > 0:22:08Wonderful. Our girls have performed brilliantly,
0:22:08 > 0:22:10but what about the lipsticks?
0:22:10 > 0:22:14- First up, the Estee Lauder.- You can see there's some residue on there.
0:22:14 > 0:22:17Some has transferred from your lips onto there and some has also
0:22:17 > 0:22:19transferred back onto your face as well,
0:22:19 > 0:22:22so it really hasn't done so well, your product.
0:22:22 > 0:22:25Next, our leader so far, the mid-range Revlon.
0:22:25 > 0:22:29- Looking...- Can't see any.- ..really good. Can't see any on there at all.
0:22:29 > 0:22:33Still going strong. But how about our cheapest, Miss Sporty?
0:22:33 > 0:22:35I can see a tiny bit on there.
0:22:35 > 0:22:39Unfortunately, I can see some on your face, so it has transferred.
0:22:39 > 0:22:42Doing OK, but a little bit smudgy.
0:22:42 > 0:22:45Finally, to our product which makes no claims, the Maybelline.
0:22:45 > 0:22:49- How does it look?- It looks good. It looks fine, actually.
0:22:49 > 0:22:51There's a tiny bit.
0:22:51 > 0:22:53But now we're going to get a more scientific view on how well
0:22:53 > 0:22:55the lipsticks have done.
0:22:55 > 0:22:57Dr Laura is back with her colour measuring machine.
0:22:57 > 0:23:00Let's see which lipstick has retained their colour the best
0:23:00 > 0:23:02after all our tests.
0:23:02 > 0:23:06What we've found is that our most expensive one,
0:23:06 > 0:23:08even though we lost a lot through transfer,
0:23:08 > 0:23:10there was quite a bit left on the lips at the end,
0:23:10 > 0:23:14so when we took the redness reading, they were still quite right.
0:23:14 > 0:23:17So, after losing in every other real-life test, at last,
0:23:17 > 0:23:20a win for the Estee Lauder product.
0:23:20 > 0:23:22Even though the most lipstick came off,
0:23:22 > 0:23:25it's retained its colour better than any of the others.
0:23:25 > 0:23:28But the Revlon came a close second.
0:23:28 > 0:23:30And as it won all the other tests
0:23:30 > 0:23:33and is less than half the price of the more expensive product,
0:23:33 > 0:23:36it's three cheers to Revlon, our mid-range product.
0:23:42 > 0:23:44Back now to cycle helmets
0:23:44 > 0:23:48and earlier we saw how wearing one saved James Cracknell's life.
0:23:48 > 0:23:53So, how rigorously are they tested? Let's find out.
0:23:53 > 0:23:56Any bicycle helmet on sale in this country has to meet
0:23:56 > 0:23:59European standards and all products which comply
0:23:59 > 0:24:02with these standards are legally allowed to bear the CE mark.
0:24:04 > 0:24:07The danger of wearing a helmet that's not been assessed
0:24:07 > 0:24:09is that the helmet may not comply
0:24:09 > 0:24:13and the impact when falling off a push-bike
0:24:13 > 0:24:17may cause significant damage to the brain.
0:24:17 > 0:24:20For the purposes of today's test, we've chosen
0:24:20 > 0:24:23one of the most expensive helmets we could find on the market
0:24:23 > 0:24:25and one of the cheapest.
0:24:25 > 0:24:28How will they perform in some of the tests which make up
0:24:28 > 0:24:30the European standard?
0:24:30 > 0:24:32First up, the strap strength test.
0:24:37 > 0:24:40The outcome of the test is designed to prevent trauma to the throat
0:24:40 > 0:24:42because the strap may be too strong
0:24:42 > 0:24:46and not give enough in the event of a helmet being wrenched.
0:24:46 > 0:24:50So we're going to drop a mass on the end of the neck strap
0:24:50 > 0:24:52and see how much it instantaneously gives
0:24:52 > 0:24:54and then how much it springs back again.
0:24:55 > 0:24:58Both helmets have enough flexibility in their strap
0:24:58 > 0:25:02not to pose a danger, so they both pass this test.
0:25:02 > 0:25:06The next test we're going to do is the impact test.
0:25:06 > 0:25:10We're going to drop a helmet from about 1½m onto an anvil.
0:25:10 > 0:25:12This simulates someone coming off their bike
0:25:12 > 0:25:14and hitting the curb or some hard object
0:25:14 > 0:25:18at a speed of somewhere in the region of 10mph.
0:25:18 > 0:25:22We're looking for an impact energy of less than 250G.
0:25:22 > 0:25:27250G is 250 times the strength of gravity.
0:25:27 > 0:25:31That might sound a lot, but the human body can withstand this,
0:25:31 > 0:25:34as long as it's for a very short period of time.
0:25:34 > 0:25:36And that's not all.
0:25:36 > 0:25:39The test makes sure helmets comply with the standard
0:25:39 > 0:25:41in hot, cold and wet weather conditions.
0:25:44 > 0:25:47That means heating...
0:25:47 > 0:25:48soaking...
0:25:48 > 0:25:53and cooling three versions of the exact same helmet before testing.
0:25:54 > 0:25:59So, the benchmark is an impact energy of less than 250G.
0:25:59 > 0:26:01Anything above that is a failure.
0:26:01 > 0:26:04How will these helmets perform?
0:26:04 > 0:26:06The heated sample of each helmet is up first.
0:26:08 > 0:26:12The cheaper helmet has an impact energy of 80G.
0:26:12 > 0:26:15The more expensive, 97G.
0:26:15 > 0:26:18They're both well within the limit and they both pass.
0:26:18 > 0:26:20Next up are the chilled helmets.
0:26:21 > 0:26:25Again, they're both under the 250G limit. Another pass.
0:26:27 > 0:26:30Finally, the soaked helmets are put to the test.
0:26:34 > 0:26:37Again, it's a pass.
0:26:38 > 0:26:41They all passed. They're all less than 250G
0:26:41 > 0:26:44which means that they would have protected you from too much damage
0:26:44 > 0:26:47to your brain during an impact.
0:26:47 > 0:26:50However, the damage to the helmet is such that you would need to
0:26:50 > 0:26:54replace these. You can see there's quite a lot of damage inside.
0:26:54 > 0:26:58They protected the cyclist from injury, but they won't do it again
0:26:58 > 0:27:02and we need to replace the helmet before going out on your bike again.
0:27:03 > 0:27:07The final test is the effectiveness of retention test.
0:27:07 > 0:27:09This is designed to determine
0:27:09 > 0:27:13whether the straps hold the helmet in place firmly enough.
0:27:13 > 0:27:15If the helmet comes off the head, it's bad news.
0:27:21 > 0:27:23But again, they both pass this test.
0:27:29 > 0:27:33If you want more information on the safety of products in your home,
0:27:33 > 0:27:35you can go to our website...
0:27:40 > 0:27:43That's all for today. Thanks for watching.