[WillowTheWhisp]

I have decided there's a plot afoot by Superdrug to challenge their customers to a battle of wits.

For Christmas I was given some Superdrug stocking fillers and some other assorted little gifts by family and friends.

So far I've had a Father Christmas and a Christmas Tree shower gel which have a valve on the back like a beach ball valve through which you are supposed to be able to squirt the shower gel. However, try as I might I cannot squeeze any out because the valve forces it back in again. The only way I could get any out was to force a thin sharp object into the valve to hold it open. Round One to me.

Round Two: Bath bombs. These were glued so firmly to the container that it was a challenge in itself to get the wretched things out. Then they are wrapped so tightly in some sort of cellophaney stuff which also has the glue on it that by the time I had fought my way through that the BB had half disintegrated - but what the heck the thing is meant to dissolve so I count that one as a draw.

Round Three: Shampoo come shower gel in a bottle. Remove the cap and there is a seal over the top of the bottle which cannot be removed without scissors. I did not have a pair of scissors in the shower - round three to Superdrug.

Round Four: Lavender soap. Again wrapped in shrink wrap which is firmly clinging to the soap and can only be removed with scissors but by now I was anticipating a challenge and had taken a pair of manicure scissors into the bathroom. Round four to me.

And moving right along we come to the lovely set of silver dipped candles in assorted size and shapes. These are all also tightly sealed in shrinkwrap. I have the option of attacking them with scissors and possibly scraping off the lovely silvering, or struggling to loosen the stuff at the top and hopefully tear it down the length of the candle without missing any. I tried. I failed. I resorted to scissors. Round five to Superdrug.

And lastly (so far) the candles have nice little frosted glass star shaped things to stand in. I stood mine in them. The wax burned down and dripped all over the table! The when the candle got to the end one holder cracked from the heat and split into two. Do I count that as a win for Superdrug or a draw?

I can't wait for the next exciting challenge!!!