Craft scissors - these have been on my Christmas list for ages, yes you could do all your Christmas shopping on Blue Bowl but for stationery lovers, journallers and planner addicts these scissors are The One.
Portfolio - a forest green one of these will be a treat to myself when I hit a goal. I'm not sure what that goal is yet but one of these will be mine.
Cable tidy - I love the beetle one of these - great for those of use who are forever losing chargers and headphones.
Blue Bowl Notebooks - my favourite notebooks. Plain paper, beautiful design and my two favourite sizes.
Paperweights - these are stunning and I spend a lot of time deciding which I want. I think Carnival Zebra is the winner but there is something for everyone and with lots of people now working in home offices this is a lovely cheering addition to any desk.
I think this year especially it's love to send something thoughtful in the post but it can be tricky choosing clothes for people. Jewellery and accessories can be a great option and the majority of people listed below I have bought from and offer fantastic customer services to help you track down the perfect gift.
Blue Bowl Silk Clutch - these are beautiful, bright and unusual. I can't decide between yellow or turquoise and red.
Marloe - I really love these zip bags. Good for keeping all your stuff in, for me pens, notebooks and glasses in a dark blue with pink writing. For kids to keep their lego or homework bits in. Makes a great present for a godchild or niece/nephew
Hexagon earrings - I have and love these. Light and easy to wear they are enough dangle to be fun but not annoying and they go with everything.
Chambers & Beau - I love this jewellry and have been eyeing up the glasses chain for ages
Sharkie & Bear - beautiful, fun earrings made in the UK from cork. Lightweight and easy to wear these make great stocking fillers too.
House of Evergreen - I'm always wearing something from Katie and these are chunky and usual. The canvas bag strap is also fantastic and easy to send in the post.
Sofianni - stunning unique jewellery designed and made by Maria. She does beautiful commissions and I have my eye on her beautiful hoops with dangling discs.
Yala Jewellery - beautifully designed African jewellery. Ethical and eco-friendly - I really love these bangles.
Beauty gifts are lovely, but getting the right one for the right person can be tricky. I've tracked down some of my favourites.
Blasta Henriet - these eye pillows are Weighted and unscented eye pillows with removable covers which you can either heat in the microwave and oven, or cool in the freezer. It's a great way to soothe tired eyes, block out unwanted light and help deepen your relaxation. It relieves tired eyes and eases migraines
Natasha Denona chromium eye colour - this has been on my list for a while but I can't decide between Dogbane and Dragonfly. Really fun and unusual as either a present in itself of a lovely stocking filler
As always I'm going to try and keep these to as many small businesses as possible - most of these are either things my kids have and love or businesses I have bought from.
Blue Bowl - you could do all your Christmas shopping from this one shop, everything from stocking fillers to vintage books.
Button & Squirt - we have three of these packs and a colouring box and the boys love them. Jack in particular likes to play a game of 'Can you find...' most Mondays when they other two go into school. They have great stocking fillers and toys and the customer service is fab.
Bernie and the Beanpole - one of my favourite places to get the boys pyjamas. They last so well, are well sized and I love the patterns.
Humphries & Begg - they do gorgeous things for grown-ups and now they also do clothes for littles.
Bear & Babe- I love these for my boys, especially the rompers which sadly I now think mine are too big for though they all still wear their leggings. These are my go-to newborn baby present and gifts for godchildren.
Cotton Twist - great stocking fillers and also fantastic presents for posting. Easy to do craft kits at varying stages so there's pretty much something for all children here.
Rex London - one of the first places i go to when I'm starting to do the boys stockings. Though it's not completely plastic-free there's lots of more eco-friendly options.
These are my top picks for home and garden, as the name suggests. I've tried to keep things to small businesses and things that are easily posted as Christmas is going to be a little unusual this year. But then there's a few things that you may want to just get for yourself because... 2020.
Becky Bettesworth - I love these vintage-style prints and that this small business has become such a success. I have two of these in on my office wall and I adore them.
Flower frogs - flower lovers, this is the gift you didn't know you needed makes cut flowers stand up in a vase and flower arranging so much less annoying. Makes a great house gift or stocking filler, I love mine.
Quilt - this has, I think, made it onto my Christmas wishlist for the last three years . I'm fairly sure that it would be destroyed by the dogs or children within a week but they just look so incredible.
Martha and Lily - beautiful prints that are lovely to send to friends. Choose from one of her designs or she can do something just for you.
Bird feeder - I really like the look of these on-the-window bird feeders and think the boys would love them on their bedroom windows so these might be a great present for godchildren. You can get a house shape or a round one. I think I like the round one...
A common chronic disease of unknown cause, characterised by redness with inflamed spots and pustules. Though it may be under control it is a relapsing condition. The skin appears tense and shiny (though it's not an oily skin condition) and on close inspection often reveals spider or thread veins. Rosacea is usually confined to the face, though it may spread onto bald scalps and, rarely, even onto the upper arms.
It used to be associated with acne but it's actually a very different condition. There is no oil present and the spots don't usually leave any scarring or pits. Symptoms include flushing, heat and stinging, spots, visible blood vessels, skin sensitivity, sometimes skin thickening. It effects about 1 in 10 people and 1 in 600 people are diagnosed with it in the UK every year. It's most common in fair skin (used to be called 'the curse of the Celts'). Occurs in men and women but more common in women between 30 & 50 and though it's three times more common in women it tends to be worse in men.
Why I think you should know about it? - my ride or die cleanser, this one suits the majority of skin types and works well at either end of the day.
Best Bits - a cruelty-free UK company this is a hit of antioxidants for your face. A lovely gel like formula this works even on the most sensitive skins.
Pros - fantastic blend of ingredients, the only cleanser you need (if you are only after one cleanser), UK brand, antioxidant and radiance boosting. Removes all makeup and sunscreen without irritating the skin.
Cons - I don't love the packaging as I feel like brands need to be moving towards something more sustainable. That being said it's one of the few products that I've bought religiously since I started using it and I have never had a faulty one.
Who's it for? - everyone except those with really oily or really active acnaic skin - even then it would probably work but wouldn't target the problems. If you have sensitivity this is definitely worth a try.
Some links are affiliate links which means I will get a small commission if you click through and buy from them. There is no extra cost to you and if you are not comfortable with that then do feel free to open a separate window and google the product for yourself. If it is an affiliate link it usually means I've taken the time to find the best price available at the time of posting
I get asked what reusuable, sustainable cotton pads I recommend, a lot. Not just for those who are conscious of waste but for anyone with sensitivity who find flannels too much for their skin, often reusable face wipes are a game changer. And I've tried a fair few in my time and they have made a huge difference to my face but also the ones from Pip & Lil are by far and away the best I've tried. They are incredibly soft, wash well (without any shrinking), and are handmade by Sarah from her home in South London.
It's rare for me to get excited by a nail varnish. Frankly I'm rubbish at applying them and they always chip but there is a new nail polish in town (well new to me... they could have been around a while and I am in love).
Some links are affiliate links which means I will get a small commission if you click through and buy from them. There is no extra cost to you and if you are not comfortable with that then do feel free to open a separate window and google the product for yourself. If it is an affiliate link it usually means I've taken the time to find the best price available at the time of posting.
I'm a bit obsessed with eye liners, you may have noticed, and couldn't resist trying these as soon as they came out. I went for Mesmerising Maroon and Copper Charge as they are the ones most likely to suit my green eyes, and the blue and green versions have pretty much been sold out ever since!
As with most of CT's eye makeup these are designed to flatter certain eye colours and I love a coloured liner to bring out your eye colour without looking too full-on. Also they are great for adding a bit of colour for glasses wearers and those with hooded lids.
Our skin can change so much during menopause but it's often overlooked as something that 'happens to all women' and we must just get on with. Going to your GP can help, as soon as you feel an inkling of peri-menopause go and talk to them. The right GP will help you navigate this time as its different for everyone. And here's what you need to know about your skin during the menopause.
It's so easy to get these confused with blackheads and they are very similar. A black head is a sort of keratin/sebum/dirt plug that's formed in the pore or hair follicle that has oxidised and turned black. A sebaceous filament are supposed to be there - they help lubricate the skin and are just more prominent in some skins than others. They look like a white, grey or yellow tiny thin hair like strand.
Your face is covered in tiny, fine hairs and there is a sebaceous gland attached to each hair follicle. Sebum helps keep bacteria out of the hair follicle and keeps the skin healthy. Sebaceous filaments are often more visible when there is an overproduction of sebum.
I don't even know who I am anymore. I just bought an entire palette of highlighters, and not just randomly, I got one that everyone is talking about. And so far I love it. No I haven't had a complete personality transplant and started highlighting the end of my nose but for some glow on the cheek bones and cupids bow these are just stunning. But that's not my favourite way to wear them - these are just beautiful on the eye lids especially if you are a fan of the glossy lids trend but can't stand anything sticky on your eyelids.
For those with darker skin tones Light Work Palette II has deeper tones that won't come out ashy on the skin. These aren't the cheapest palettes in the world but the pans are large and I mean, I feel like I won't ever need to buy another highlighter. A little goes a long way and I like to apply this with a soft fluffy brush (I use this No. 19). Now personally I think it's hard to beat a cream highlighter but you get a different kind of finish with a powder and I'd go as far as to say that for a powder highlighter I'm not sure these can be beaten.
Your lymphatic network is basically your cells waste disposal system - it drains and filters fluid which has been discarded from cells and tissue. It also absorbs fats and fat soluble vitamins from the digestive tract and delivers them to the cells.
It is an essential part of the immune system, maintaining fluid levels, fighting infection and producing white blood cells. It's often called the second circulation system but unlike blood it isn't pumped around the body, it relies on the squeezing of muscular contraction to push it through the vessels.
A sluggish lymphatic system can cause all sorts of problems from headaches, brain fog, swollen glands, excessive mucus, sore throats, ear popping, bloating, swelling to pins & needles, acne, dry skin and reduced ability to fight infection. And there are a number of causes, sedentary lifestyle, poor diet and genetics to name but three.
So there are some things that you can do to keep your lymphatic system working well and therefore help keep your immune system tip top.
1. A few minutes deep breathing - which uses muscles and helps the flow.
2. Hydration - drink enough water, it makes up a major part of lymph, blood and interstitial fluid. You don't need to over do it, a few sips of room temperature water every 15 minutes is enough but for those who want to you can calculate how much you need to be drinking a day - I used this one from Good Housekeeping.
3 Dry brushing - these brushes are available from lots of places.
4. Move - any movement is good, remember it's the contraction of muscles that really help keep the lymphatic fluid moving. Yoga is great for this.
5. Go for a walk
6. Massage - body brushing works as a form of massage for the body. I've given some examples of facial massage below.
7. Consider your makeup and skincare - Skin is your largest organ, what goes onto and into your skin adds to the waste load.
8. Eat healthily - whole foods, all the colours, green vegetables and try to resist the processed fast foods.
This is how I incorporate this into my morning cleansing routine so there are some cleansing movements in here but here are the ones that are for lymphatic drainage. 1. Thumbs under jaw bone and ring finger on inside of eyes, slight rocking pressure applied and sweep out to the edge of the face. 2. Thumbs under jaw and ring finger applying slight circular pressure to the outer corner of the eyes and pulled out to the side 3. Up across the nose and forehead and out to the edges of the face. 4. Fingers on the brows and rocking motion with slight pressure. Bring the fingers up to the hair line. 5. Sweeping motion from the inside of the face to the outside edges.
So this year I would really like to proactivly get stuff done for me. I'm not one for New Year's Resolutions but in 2019 I made big steps in my business and well, without wanting to sound like a weirdo, my mind so I really want to do some of the things I always mean to do but instead I spend my time doing pointless shit for other people*.
So one of the things I used to do, before grown-up jobs, husbands, kids, anti-depressants etc is write in notebooks. I used to have one like a security blanket. One group of friends even hilariously used to call me Lyrics because that is often what I wrote. Well I want to get back to it. Back to the notebooks, back to creativity but I've become scared of fucking up so I've created 30 days of prompts to just get me in the habit of using notebooks again. So if you want to up your creativity, spend less time on your phone and just do something for yourself why don't you join in. I'll be sharing mine on Instagram using the hashtag #30daysofnotebooks
*I love doing stuff for other people but my god I need to learn to not fill ever single minute doing everything for everyone else and making myself ill. There. I said it.
