Give & Make Up

Pst. Sarah here. Come closer. I want to share a secret with you...are you ready?

I sometimes buy make up, toiletries and clothes that I never, ever use or wear. *shock face*

Please tell me I'm not the only one - we've all got them right? The bits and pieces of make-up that we bought but never used, the bubble bath you got in the Secret Santa at work that you don't really like the smell of...unwanted or unloved gifts, cluttering up your house that make you feel guilty whenever you see them.

"Use me!" is what I always hear in my head whenever I open my make-up case and skip over that bright red lip gloss that I have no use for. "Love me!" says the pomegranate shampoo that smelt great in the shop but makes actually me a bit sneezy when I use it. 

I've got to be honest, the guilt of being wasteful stops me from just chucking these things in the bin, because surely there must be a better way? I tried foisting them all on my friends but they weren't so keen, so it's lucky then that I stumbled onto Give & Make Up, via my friend Lou! 

Give & Make Up is a charity, set up by Caroline Hirons, designed to provide everyday essential items to women who have experienced domestic violence.

From their website:

"Each week two women in the United Kingdom are murdered by a partner or ex-partner. 

One woman in four experiences domestic violence in their lifetime. 

Refuge and Womens Aid protect the lives of thousands of women and children every day. 

Give and Makeup is a non-profit initiative whose sole purpose is to get everyday essentials into the hands of these women and children who need them the most."

They have a great list of what they accept, which is pretty all encompassing and I'm pretty sure everyone has at least one of these things in their cupboard! (I know I have...several. Oops).

Everyday Essentials

shampoo

conditioner

bath/shower gel

deodorant

toothbrushes

toothpaste

body lotion

feminine hygiene products

shaving products

at-home hair dye colouring kits

Skincare

cleanser

toner

moisturiser

MakeUp

foundation

concealer

powder

blusher

eyeshadow

eyeliner

mascara

Perfume

Nail Polish 

Tools

makeup brushes

makeup bags

hairdryers

curling tongs

straighteners

Clothing 

bras

underwear (clean and useable!)

pyjamas 

childrens clothing - anything

childrens pyjamas

Baby Products 

all of them!

They can only accept new items of anything with an applicator wand e.g. mascara/lip gloss/concealer. Gift with purchase sizes are fine, as are samples.

Anything that has been lightly used is also fine - if you would happily give it to a friend - they'll take it! 

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If you're mentally making a list right now of things you could happily get rid of (imagine how much cupboard space you could reclaim!) but aren't sure where to drop it off, then take a look at the donation locations. 

We're very lucky in Cardiff, as Give and Make Up are working with Welsh Women's Aid (WWA) and Escentual, so you can drop stuff in straight to the store. Just send your items to Escentual by post (63-67 Wellfield Rd, Cardiff, South Glamorgan CF24 3PA) or you can drop them off at 'Central Pharmacy', Wellfield Road. 

Being ethical and eco friendly doesn't always mean buying items that have been ethically created - it's also about reducing the amount of waste you create and finding a good home for the things you no longer want, need or use :) 

I don't know what you guys are going to get up to this week, but I'm going to give my cupboards a good sort through and see what I can find to donate - freeing up space and doing something good in one fell swoop, hurrah! :)

Love

Sarah