Birchbox Manithon for Coppafeel!

Breastcancer is an issue that is close to my heart.  My best friend from my early school days died from the disease when she was in her early 20's and three current friends have it.  Everyone it seems knows someone with the disease, has had the disease or is undergoing treatment from the disease.

CoppaFeel! aims to stamp out late detection and misdiagnosis of breast cancer by ensuring that people know that signs and symptoms of breast cancer, know what their boobs look and feel like normally, check their boobs regularly throughout their lifetime and have the confidence to seek medical referral when they detect abnormalities. Currently 5% of diagnosed cases are already at stage IV with breast cancer being the second most commonly diagnosed cancer in women under 30 in the UK (181 new cases diagnosed and 12 deaths annually). CoppaFeel! strives for a country where no one dies of breast cancer because of late detection or misdiagnosis. The charity receives no government funding and relies solely on voluntary donations.

On August 29th, Birchbox are hosting a Manithon which will take place here in London's between 10am and 7.30pm. Here you will see 20 manicure stations, set up by Birchbox in partnership with Models Own nail polish, take over London’s Soho Square as a team of manicurists file and polish all day long and you can book your slot by clicking HERE.  All that is asked is a donation of at least £5 is given and that donation will go to CoppaFeel!

This exciting beauty charity event is also being supported with the sale of a Limited Edition T Shirt, designed by renowned fashion ilustrator Sally Faye Cotterill. Modeled by celebrity ambassador Sarah Jane Crawford the T is available exclusively through the Birchbox website at www.birchbox.co.uk/shop from Friday 1st August, 2014 priced at £12.00, with 100% of proceeds from the sales of the T-shirt going to CoppaFeel!  Here is the t-shirt!

You can find out more about this event by using any of the information below:

Website: www.birchbox.co.uk
www.coppafeel.org
Twitter: @BirchboxUK  and @CoppaFeelPeople
Hashtag: #BirchboxManithon

**Update** Visitors to the Birchbox CoppaFeel! Manithon later this month will all received a FREE Birchbox tote bag, with a choice of three luxury beauty samples from a choice of 10 best-selling brands, along with an exclusive Birchbox scarf and subscription offer.

Hen Do’s and Don’ts: Advice for the Hen Do Organiser!

If you’ve been put in charge of organising a hen do – whether it’s for your best mate or a family member – it’s your responsibility to make it as memorable as possible. You’re not going to get tears of joy from something that has been put together in a matter of hours, so it’s up to you to plan the time that you have wisely to ensure that what the bride-to-be gets is nothing short of a hen do dream come true.

This doesn’t mean that you have to spend a fortune, because you don’t. Hen parties on a budget are just as unforgettable as those that aren’t; it’s all down to what you do with the time that you have! Here are some of the hen do’s and don’ts that you should consider during the planning process, so that you can ensure everything will run smoothly, without a hitch.

DO speak to the bride about her wishes and desires. Remember that it’s not your hen do, it’s hers, so make sure that what you plan reflects her personality. Is she the sort of person who would thrive in a pair of hen do head boppers and a bright pink sash? Or would she prefer to have a more sober evening, enjoying a nice meal with friends?

DON’T listen to her completely, though. Even if she says she doesn’t want any fuss, chances are she’d like a little bit of fuss, she just doesn’t want to say that. Bear in mind her desires and, if she’s completely anti something, then obviously don’t include it. That being said, hen do’s are all about the FUN, aren’t they?

DO give guests a dress code. This is particularly important if you’re hoping to incorporate a theme into the evening. Let all of the guests know (including the bride), in advance, what the dress code is so that they can plan their outfit. Is it fancy dress? Or can the guests shop for occasion dresses from George at ASDA to be as girly and feminine as possible? 

DO consider who will be coming to the hen do. If she wants her mum and her gran to be there, perhaps a stripper or a naked butler wouldn’t be the best way to go. That is, of course, unless they aren’t prude in the slightest and would grab the opportunity with both hands…

DON’T stretch the budget if you can help it. The bride will want her guests to be able to attend, and if that means cutting the budget because everyone will be able to come if it’s that little bit cheaper, then do it. Book things in advance and ask guests for their contributions as and when you need it. That way, you won’t be out of pocket and nobody will have to worry about funding things on the day.

DO remember the personal touches. The little additions to the hen party, or weekend, that will let the bride know just how much you care will make her hen do special. Perhaps you could ask the guests to write a little note to her, in a guest book, that she can look back on in years to come?

Give yourself plenty of time to organise everything and be sure not to wing it – the more planning and organisation you do, the smoother the hen do will run!

*Guestpost

OSCO Clear Acrylic Organiser

I was recently sent the OSCO Desktop Organiser** which is a set of clear acrylic three drawer organiser from Viking Direct. Described as:

"This transparent range from Osco gives a clean and clear appearance to any desk, and allows you to see exactly where everything is. Made of clear acrylic so it'll last a good while too"

I decided to use them as a make-up organiser on my bedside cabinet as I had been looking for something that would fit without taking up the whole space I had free.

As you can see it is very clear see through which means it is perfect for seeing what it is you have inside them and the drawers are much roomier than I thought they would and filling them because an afternoon of fun trying out new and exciting things to put on show.

As you can see, within each drawer there is plenty of space and since taking these photos there has been a few more products added.  

The first drawer contains my favourite lipsticks and within there is everything from MAC, Dior, Moxie and Cargo not forgetting my brand new YSL lipstick and the fact I have them in their original boxes goes some way to show how big and deep these drawers are. The second drawer is lip balms I am currently really liking, my go to Dr Jart BB Cream, Maybelline Baby Skin Primer, my Dr Lipp nipple balm, my tweezers and my beloved Balance Me Radiance Facial Oil.  The final drawer contains some mascaras I am yet to try, a few lip crayons, a few Benefit trial sized products a friend sent to me, a Sleek Blush in Rose Gold and a Collection eyeshadow pencil - in total almost 30 items in these three drawers which saves a lot of space.

As you can see, I have saved lots of space and my bedside table doesn't look over cluttered and there is still room for lots more products!

Do you have any make-up storage?  Do you have any drawers like this set?

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Introducing ChattyFeet!

Today I am going to share with you a product which even now is making me cackle and its name is Chattyfeet!

ChattyFeet are socks which have the sole intention of making you smile and cheer you up with funny character on your toes. Who and what are ChattyFeet?

"When we were kids we thought being a grown up would be non-stop computer games, seeing our friends, going into space, eating waffles and getting to pick all the songs on long car journeys. Then when we actually arrived in grownupland we found out it actually involves paying rent and having a job and fixing the dishwasher and making PowerPoint presentations. Boo to that!

So we decided to stage a secret rebellion against boringness, starting from the ground up (literally) with our funny ChattyFeet socks.

Produced in Portugal, each sock puts one of our quirky characters at your toes. That means you can express yourself through ChattyFeet socks the second you kick off your shoes as well as enjoying all the other bonuses of socks like warmth and being able to slide across the floor like Tom Cruise in Risky Business..."

So when asked if I would like to try some, I immediately went over to the website to choose a pair and was met with this:

There are three different options to choose from - Men, Woman or Children and within each section are the choices of socks from which you can choose and this is what made me cackle, the socks have names. Allow me to introduce you to Brad Feet, Don Cottone the Sockfather.




I chose Yoko Mono which you can see below. These socks are made using 75% cotton, 23% Polyamide, 2% Lycra and they are not only comfortable on the feet but they are also washing machine friendly.







Costing £7 per pair they are quite expensive but do make a good gift for people because they are quite quirky and usual. They come in a variety of sizes, all of which you can find on the website under each sock option.

What do you think to my socks? Do you like the character names?