Give & Makeup

I am sure I am not alone when I say that every year I find myself with a collection of products that myself and my household have absolutely no use for (aftershave!? - this is a beard-wearing household!) or have no inclination to use primarily due to their ingredients list - yes, I'm talking to you weird pink fluro bubble bath with a list longer than the Magna Carta! 

This scenario most often occurs around Christmas and/or birthday time when a well meaning elderly individual who I haven't see since I was 3 months old (if ever) very kindly sends me a present which is not to my taste or possibly even meant for me - then I guilt at not even having sent them a card! What do you do..?

When I find myself with a surplice of products that I don't want for one reason or another,  I generally pass pieces on to friends and family and take the remainder to one of my local charity shops (I rotate donations) or donate to the weekly food bank managed by my mum.

Having recently been very kindly given a selection of  (new) make-up products which I had no plans to use, I pondered over what to do with it - it wasn't suitable for my kit or myself and there is none who I would give it to as a present...What to do? I did a little research and came across Give And Makeup - I had my answer!

Founded in 2010 by Skincare Specialist, Blogger and Vlogger Caroline Hirons, Give And Makeup is a not for profit initiative designed with the sole purpose of getting everyday essentials into the hands of the women and children who are most in need of them.

Each year thousands of women and children in the UK are affected by domestic violence, sadly half of the incidents go unreported however a large number have to flee their homes and find themselves with nothing. Give And Makeup works with Women's Aid, Refuge and CRI (London area) to not only provide women and children with the basics but also the items that can help provide confidence to women who are possibly at their lowest.

We all have make-up, skin and personal care products that we don't need or want, so don't bin them - donate them!

Each week two women in the UK are murdered by a partner or ex-partner

What can you donate? Pretty much anything but more specifically...

The Essentials	Skincare & Makeup	Babies & Children
Shampoo & Conditioner	Cleanser	Bath products
Bath/Shower Gel	Toner/Water Spray	Body lotion
Body lotion	Moisturiser	Nappy rash cream
Hair products	Serum	Cotton buds
Toothbrushes*	Foundation	Cotton pads
Feminine Hygiene Products	Mascara*
At-Home Hair Dye	Concealer*
Shaving products	Eye shadow
Tweezers	Lip Gloss*
Heated hair tools	Blusher
	Makeup brushes

*unopened and unused only

One woman in four experiences domestic violence in their lifetime

What about all those opened, tried once and never again kinda products? (I have a lot of those too) They take it all! 

The general consensus is that if you would be happy to give the product to a friend, they will take it. If you aren't sure about a product then just get in touch with them and ask.

The average woman experiences domestic violence 35 times before she calls the police

How do I donate? It's easy!

Simply package up the products into manageable sized parcels and pop them in the post, alternatively donations can be made directly to your local shelters.

Parcels can be sent to one of the following addresses:

Give and Makeup c/o

Pardip Barmi

PO BOX 855

London

W4 4AW

or

Give and Makeup c/o

CRI

6 Craven Park

Brent

Harlesden

London 

NW10 8SY

or 

Ashley Ridler

Give and MakeUp c/o

Escentual.com

63-67 Wellfield Road

Cardiff

CF24 3PA

To find out more about the invaluable work done by these charities to support women and children who have suffered domestic violence, please visit their websites:

Women's Aid                     Refuge                   CRI

Give And Makeup can be found on twitter @GiveAndMakeUp 

Image: Give And Makeup