Introducing MadeCloser

When you buy a product whether on the High Street or online, do you ever wonder where it has really come from?  Would you like to know more about the item you are buying?  Well let me introduce you to Madecloser a place where you, the customer can buy any goods that are originally manufactured within your own continent and they are sorted by area - in order of local, regional, national or continental location.

The brain child of  John Palaguta-Iles, MadeCloser came to being in February 2011 when he spent quite some time searching for locally, ethically produced products for his new home, products that he could trace the origin of its manufacture and could get from a retailer that was closer to him.  Having found it quite a difficult task, he came up with MadeCloser, an online marketplace where ethically and locally manufactured goods, literally made closer, could be more readily found and purchased by like-minded people.

MadeCloser state that they are:

“Uniquely for an online marketplace, shoppers who care about local economies, sustainable commerce, helping the planet and helping fellow citizens, can choose products from a wide-ranging catalogue of goods - all Made Closer!”

So how does it work? Manufacturers register their products with MadeCloser to sell them on the their marketplace, as a customer we can then sort those products from continental to regional levels to find a product that we want from the closest manufacturer to you.

There are so many products that I liked from this website and from a choice of twelve different categories such as Jewellery, Health and Beauty, Home and garden and Animals and pets to name just a few, the choice is quite literally endless when looking for that perfect item or gift and here are some of my favourite items:

For those of you who are interested in ethics first, and economic and environmental sustainability, MadeCloser is a site you will like because whilst reading about MadeCloser, I was encouraged to find that it gives two thirds of its' net profit, to charities that comply with at least one of its charitable pre-requisites:

• ŸSupporting the preservation and evolution of indigenous and endangered cultures and species
• ŸActive involvement in local, national & continental self sustainability
• ŸThe education of free will and self governance
• ŸWorking with nature to fight disease

Out of this donated money, half of the funds go to causes and projects in the actual region of the individual customer. Whether you are a retailer, someone who is crafty or like me, someone who often wonders where products actually come from and wants to find something that has been made by a person, with a lot of love, rather than factory made in their millions, then MadeCloser is the place you should definitely come to look at.  

**SP

Heaven Skincare Bee Venom Face Mask

At the beginning of the year I did a post featuring some of the products I wanted to try in 2014, many of which pricked an interest due to some odd ingredient.

I was lucky enough to be sent some of the Heaven Skincare Bee Venom Face Mask**, a product favourite of some of our Royal Family Members, which is how I became fascinated by it – I am a huge Royalist and if it is good enough for the Duchess of Cambridge, it is good enough for me right?

Well once I had it in my grasp, the whole idea then became much scarier, I mean actual bee venom on my face, why on earth would I want to do that?  Well this is why:

“Heaven's Bee Venom range is the only Bee Venom range that contains the special ingredient abeetoxin™..  It softens lines and wrinkles whilst plumping and firming. It is a luxurious cream that you will see and feel working instantly, leaving your skin looking its youthful and radiant best.

If that isn’t enough to capture your interest it also contains Manuka Honey which is renowned for its soothing and healing properties as well as softening and calming Shea Butter which also has moisturising properties and finally Rose and Lavender essential oils which are also both hydrating and moisturising when on the skin.

As mentioned it does contain Bee Venom which claims to control the facial muscles for immediate lifting, tightening and firming, whilst getting to work on frown lines and wrinkles which is something I am always looking for, paranoid that I am getting old before my time.

The actual cream itself is not overly thick but you only need a small amount to cover your face.  So having cleaned and cleansed my face I took a few deep breaths and applied the mask as instructed to do so. There is a slight scent to it, definitely honey was the ingredient that I detected over and above anything else, but it glides onto your skin effortlessly and gradually sinks in.  Once your whole face is covered, you leave it on for 20 minutes before washing it off.  Once it was applied, I was sat on my bed relaxing and after about 6 minutes I felt my face start to tingle; it wasn’t unpleasant in any way, infact it was a relief to know that something was happening, I wanted those 20 minutes to hurry up so I can have a look at my face to see what the affect was going to be.  As soon as my time was up, I grabbed my Washi cloth and duly removed the cream or what was left of it, from my face and this is where I was so impressed.

Before using the cream, I had slight dryness on both cheeks and on my forehead between my eyebrows, it is a constant problem when the weather changes from cold to warm, no matter how much cream I apply, it always comes back.  So, having used this mask, not only did my skin feel smoother than it ever had before, softer than I have ever known it to be, but it was free from dry skin, I had a natural glow and even though I have hardly wrinkles, there was no sign of those that had been there, my skin felt tight and the puffiness under my eyes from lack of sleep had also gone. I was quite literally astounded by how good this was after one use.  

Now two days on, my skin is still soft and smooth and there is no sign of the dryness on either cheek or on my forehead, no wonder it is such a big hit with members of the Royal Family and now me!

As well as using this product as a mask, you can also use it both in the morning and in the evening by applying a small amount on top of your moisturiser.  I am yet to do this, but I intend too because I really want to see what the difference in my skin will be like.

This product for me is wonderful, now I have it in my grasp I am not willing to let it go, I have never tried a product like it nor been so impressed by its results, they more than live up to the claims and it is no wonder that Deborah Mitchell, CEO and founder of Heaven Skincare has won awards for the abeetoxin™ ingredient. 

Prices start from £25.30 and more information is available on the website which you can find here www.heavenskincare.com

Emmy Twenty – Fashionably Flat Shoes

There are very few amongst us that don’t own at least one pair of trusty ballet pumps. The reliability and versatility of this style means it has stood the test of time (heroines like Audrey Hepburn and Brigitte Bardot were big fans), so it’s no surprise that in 2014 we’re still besotted.

I recently discovered Emmy Twenty – a newly launched company that designs “fashionably flat shoes”. Its founder Sharon Sunners, had originally set out on a quest to find leather ballet pumps for work (many will know that London’s pavements and tube escalators can make wearing heels a daily battle). What she found both on the high street and online though was that a lot of the shoes were made from cheap materials like PU and the ones that were leather would cost well over £100. There seemed to be no middle ground. Speaking to friends, family and even surveying other shoppers they all agreed. It was then that she decided that if she couldn’t find it, she would make it and began sketching out designs. 

Given her direct experience as a consumer, Sharon paid particular attention to detail during the sampling process. For example knowing how unforgiving pavements are, a heel cushion was added to lessen the impact of the ground when walking and provide extra comfort. The colourful range is designed to be stylish and fun but also practical for the busy, modern and yet on-trend woman.

On another note, in support of Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month this March, Emmy Twenty has teamed up with the charity Ovarian Cancer Action (www.ovarian.org.uk) to raise funds for research. For every pair sold of the limited edition Danson Teal shoe, £5.00 will be donated to the cause. The gorgeous teal colour is just the ticket for Spring! 

You can view the full collection at www.emmytwenty.com and if you’re tempted to treat yourself, you’ll be pleased to know that it’s free UK delivery. 

Nuxe Pamper Hamper - My Entry!

When I was emailed and told that Nuxe had launched their first UK blogger competition and would I be interested in entering to win a luxury hamper worth £250, I thought why not? The prize contains so many products that I would love to try and there are also prizes for two runners up.

All I needed to do to enter was create a spring inspired wishlist post using products from Nuxe and create a post on my blog. further details on how to enter can be found below if you fancy having a go yourself. But this is my entry and I would love to know your thoughts.

Rêve de Miel Lip Balm - I have read SO many reviews on this product that I am begining to wonder why I don't actually own it. As a self-confessed lip balm addict everytime I read about it, i feel as though I need to add it to my collection because I am missing out. Described as "A repairing, nourishing lip balm with a rich, delicious texture to restore suppleness and comfort to dry and chapped lips" and apparently one is sold every 28 seconds somewhere throughout the world!

Gentle Exfoliating Gel with Rose Petals - with the weather ever changing from being windy, to raining back to windy not to mention very cold, my skin is always in need of some TLC and a facial exfoliator is a product I use a lot of in the colder in the months.  I love the sound of this which is described as follows "A gel texture with gentle exfoliating granules to give the skin a refined appearance. Skin is purified, soft and smooth, and more radiant than ever".

Crème Fraîche® de Beauté Mask - I am a lover of face masks and try to ensure that at least once a week I have a pamper evening and use a face mask on my skin.  As with above, the weather playing havoc with my skin means that after exfoliating I also want to nourish and add moistuise to my skin and I always find a facemask does just the job for me and this one sounds amazing - "A fresh moisturising mask and source of well being to hydrate and soothe the skin reducing instantly any discomforts (tingling, redness, burning sensations, etc.)".

Micellar Cleansing Water with Rose Petals - I am yet to board the Micellar water bandwagon and it is a product I really want to try and this is one I have not read much about but intrigues me quite a lot.  Described as "In a single step, this alcohol-free Micellar Cleansing Water cleanses, removes make-up and eliminates all the impurities from your face, eyes and lips." all of which sounds wonderful and amazing but the fact it is made with Rose Petals is what draws me to it, the same as the exfoliating gel I can only imagine how wonderful this must smell.

Nuxe 24 hour body moisturising lotion - said to give a satin feel and leave your skin feeling soft, I am yet to find a body lotion that I like enough to continue using, makes a difference and smells amazing. This I like the sound of because of this description "This body lotion provides immediate and long-lasting moisturization (Wheat Extracts and Wood) and corrects skin dryness (Sweet Almond and Sunflower Oils). The skin is soothed and soft (Almond and Orange Flower Petals)" and I have no doubt it would smell amazing with those ingredients.

So, if you like the look of my wishlist but want to do your own, all you have to do is complete the steps below:

1) Create a spring inspired wishlist style post using products from uk.nuxe.com on your blog

2) Tweet the link to your post to @NuxeUK along with the hashtag #NuxePamperHamper

3) If you don’t have twitter you can send your entry link to us at onlinepr@nuxe.com

The competition closes 10th March 2014 but please let me know if you have entered or when you do enter by leaving a comment below so I can come and see your entry.