L’Occitane La Flamme Marie Claire

Did you know that less than a third of school children worldwide are girls? Quite a shocking statistic when you realise how many children of school age there must be! Launching the first week of September, the L'Occitance La Flamme Marie Claire, a collaboration between Marie Claire and L’Occitane will be released to raise funds for the education of young women around the world. 100% of the profits from the sale of each candle will be donated between three chosen charities in order to help transform the lives of thousands of young girls in Sierra Leone, Uganda, Cambodia and South Africa where the lack of available education leaves girl and women dependent, powerless and vulnerable.

Access to education is something I used to take for granted, in the UK it is a right not a privilege and I know without it, I wouldn't be where I am today. I was lucky enough to go to pass all my GCSEs and A Levels before going on to University where I graduated with a 2:1. It is campaigns like this which make you realise just how lucky we are.

L'Occitane have, for the past 30 years, supported many ethical and charitable foundations and one of their biggest projects has been enabling the women of Burkino Faso, where L'Occitane sources their famous Shea Butter, to develop other revenue generating activities to drive them towards economic emancipation.  Partnering with Marie Claire to support projects with a common goal: educating girl and young women, the flame (La Flamme) is a symbol of hope, a beacon of knowledge spreading the light of understanding and education throughout the world.

So the candle! It comes packaged inside this beautiful pink tin is a Verbena scented candle and it smells just incredible and very much like Lemon Bon-bons to me and that is before I have lit it. 

The L’Occitane La Flamme Marie Claire La Flamme Marie Claire initiative will be available in the UK, France, Italy and Czech Republic and will be priced at £8 from 1st September.

*this post contains PR samples unless indicated otherwise

It Could be You!

Like many people I dream of winning the National Lottery or Euromillions, not a huge jackpot, but enough to be comfortably well off so that I can work my way through my bucket list, the first being moving to the countryside and having my own cattery for unwanted, abandoned and unloved cats. I would also love to be mortgage free, go back to Las Vegas where I got married and finally see The Northern Lights, not too much to ask for right?

To that end, I do occasionally, well when I remember, buy National Lottery tickets in the hope of a big win, I buy them randomly and hope lady luck is on my side, I personally think she has taken early retirement or is ignoring me. With more and more people playing the lottery and the odds becoming less favourable, I was introduced to Lottoland which offers you the chance to bet on the outcome of many draws, from across the world.  You might have heard of the Irish Lotto and the massively popular American Powerball which had a prize of £1billion earlier this year and currently has £515million in the kitty, but did you know there are lotteries in Australia, Poland, Sweden, France and Spain to name but a few? I am sure many of you will have even see the adverts for Lottoland on the television as it is fronted by Chris Tarrant, so what is it all about?

With Lottoland you are not buying a ticket to a lottery draw, this is where it differs from going into your local newsagent and buying that ticket, instead you are betting on the outcome of the real draw but on offer are the same prizes as the official lottery itself. Yes really. Put simply you pick the numbers that you think will be drawn and if you guess correctly, you will win prize and the size of the prize will depend on the number of balls you correctly guess. So with the American Powerball for example, you choose your 6 numbers and you correctly guess 4 of them plus the powerball, your prize would stand at £38,000, essentially hitting any of the prize tiers available on the official draw and you’ll win!

You don't have to play alone either, Lottoland gives you the chance to be part of a syndicate, you simply decide how many shares you want to purchase be it 1,2 or 5 for example, you then click the button and it is all done for you and with 1 in 5 jackpots being won by a syndicate, it is something to definitely consider.

If you do play the lottery then Lottoland I think is a really interesting idea and with prizes so big in so many lotteries, then it might just be worth little flutter, as the saying goes "It could be YOU"!

*collaboration

August Dollibox - Poolside Glamour

Dollibox is a new online subscription service for UK based beauty lovers and I have featured a past box here. With a Dollibox subscription you'’ll receive five personalised beauty samples, sometimes full-sized every month, tailored to your beauty profile. Your beauty profile consists of some quite specific questions to answer such as where you get your beauty news from, what do you splurge on and how comfortable you are applying make-up. There are also questions about hair and eye colour as well as ethnicity and it takes just a couple of minutes to complete and the content of each box you receive will be based on this profile.

The August Dollibox arrived last week and it is all about Poolside Glamour and it is designed to give you everything you need to look and smell good all summer long.

Skintruth Afterdark Age Defy Moisturiser

Skintruth is a brand that I have never come across before, so it was a nice surprise inside the box. The product is called Afterdark Age Defy Moisturiser and it is an intensive night moisturiser formulated with Rose to replenish and hydrate skin whilst you are sleeping. Infused with Goji Berry a rich antioxidant renowned for anti aging properties, this moisturiser is ideal for mature skin types. You can get this moisturiser from Sally Express for £13.99.

Schwarzkopf Liquid Oil Conditioner

Described a being an indulgent leave-in formula combines an oil phase, which gives hair radiance, shine and suppleness, with a care phase, which repairs and detangles the hair beautifully. Hair is made instantly bouncy and vital, with improved manageability from static and frizz. The light, non-burdening conditioner seals the surface of the hair to lock moisture in, and provides a perfectly polished look. The Oil has an rrp £12.95 and is available on Escentual.

Girl Meet Brush Cosmetic Brush

I am already a fan of the bran Girl Meets Brush. If you have never come across them before, all the brushes are vegan friendly and cruelty free! Each brush is made with soft fibres and they are packaged in a sleek black handle with matching bristles. There are four different brushes in this months box; the Foundation Brush, the Blending Pencil Brush, the Highlighter Brush and the Eyeshadow Blending Brush which I have. You can find the brushes right here and they retail for around £6.95 upwards.

The Herb Garden Massage Bar

The Herb Garden is another brand I have never come across but how cute is the packaging? Inside the box wrapped neatly inside some purple tissue paper is a cute little mini massage bar which smells just divine. The relaxing massage bar uses soothing chamomile and lavender alongside shea butter, almond oil and Vitamin E oil to create heaven in a little bundle. One the skin, it melts on contact, as long as your hands are warm and it is just a delight to use.  You can find out more information on this massage bar and other products from within the range right here.

Dreamy Handmade Bath & Skincare Bath Bomb

The last item in the box is this cute and delightfully scented bath bomb from Dreamy Handmade Bath & Skincare. Again, not a brand I am familiar with at all but it is an all natural, organic and vegan friendly bath bomb which is handmade. I have Vanilla and Sandalwood Luxury Bathbomb which is decorated with poppy seeds and also uses Almond oil, Mango butter, Vitamin E. Found on Etsy right here there are quite a few products within the range.

This month's box is worth around £33 which is really good value for money. I really have enjoyed this box, it has a lovely range of products inside and it is another great way to meet and be introduced to brands that you might not be too familiar with.

To subscribe Dollibox has a choice of three different subscription options right now and they start from just £10 per month - www.dollibox.co.uk

*this post contains PR samples unless indicated otherwise