We don’t usually post reviews on our blog, but we also don’t usually hear from daredevils like India and Ester who had decided to sign up for the infamous “Mongol Rally” – a 10,000 mile journey through mountains, deserts, and steppe of Europe and Asia in what is best described as ‘an old banger’ with no rules, and no back-up – all in the aid of charity! Well, we were impressed -they both made it (though the same can’t be said for their car), and they used incognito to protect them along the way…. here are their thoughts on how the incognito products fared during an adventure of a lifetime…
“incognito’s mission as a brand is to offer customers an entirely natural but effective product which can compete in effectiveness with fellow products on the market. As far as this goes, the only difference I could see between incognito and, for example, Deet products was the knowledge that applying incognito wasn’t going to make my skin feel like it was burning, and the peace of mind that the environment wasn’t being harmed by its existence.”
“incognito kindly offered to send us a plethora of their products to take with us on an adventure which saw us driving from the United Kingdom to Mongolia, and halfway back. The drive took us through a number of less frequently travelled countries, many of which offered varying terrain and a multitude of unexpected obstacles which we had not anticipated.”
“We were sent five products: the award-winning insect repellent spray, their insect repellent roll-on, the suncream insect repellent, hair and bodywash, and moisturiser.”
“The roll-on and spray were totally effective in deterring the incessant and unforgiving ‘squeeters’ (mosquitoes) which we encountered along the way. The one day which we deemed it unnecessary to apply the magic potion in Bulgaria, the two of us were savaged by the brutes and bared the scars for at least the following two weeks. In Tajikistan, an apparent hot-spot for malaria, we doused ourselves in the repellent. So far, so good. The repellent lived in the well between the two front seats, where it was easily accessible and within reaching distance when we had to jump out the car in the middle of a desert or by a lake. Sadly, other members of our convoy cottoned onto this product, and it was in high demand consistently!”
“The hair and body wash was the perfect partner for washing in Georgian lakes and Pamir mountain rivers. Two bottles managed to last us the entire trip, and after long stretches of being unable to wash, the citrusy smell was most definitely a treat. It was equally as effective as a shampoo and as a body wash, and a definite must-have for a long-haul journey.”
“The suncream insect repellent was the most under-utilised of the products, but predominantly because towards the end of the rally, the sun was non-existent. One member of the team, being ginger, was incredibly susceptible to sun, and in 47-degree heat in Turkmenistan, any sun protection she was grateful for. Our inability to remember to shake the bottle thoroughly before use was our downfall, and as such often the repellent would come flowing out before the sun cream. Once we overcame this oversight, however, we were able to make the most out of it!”
“Our favourite, by a mile, was the moisturiser. It smelled divine and was a favourite amongst our convoy. It was so popular, in fact, that it was referred to as ‘liquid gold’ and was constantly in demand. After the unfortunate demise of our car due to an incident on a Russian road, we prioritized bringing the moisturiser home over things we deemed less crucial – camping chairs, CDs, bowls, tyre compressor, plates etc. After a long day in the desert or in the Kyrgyzstan mountains, our skin was crying out for attention, and this product was everything we wanted. I am often allergic to skin products, so it was such a treat to find one which doesn’t make me break out in red bumps!”
“All in all, the incognito products ticked every box. Apart from extra sun cream for the red-head and one tube of mascara, incognito was all we had to keep us feeling fresh and bite free. We never yearned for any other products, truthfully. We would certainly recommend incognito to all fellow adventurers – and I’ll certainly be purchasing more for future trips.”