My husband spoilt me and Christmas and bought this foundation and lipstick from my wish list. I’ve used the foundation every day since and I’m now waiting for payday so I can buy some more.
About the brand
https://instagram.com/p/Bgf6Y-9jAGc/
Nui cosmetics are from Berlin, Germany. They produce natural and organic beauty products that are cruelty-free and vegan-friendly.
My products were purchased from Glow Organic (Brighton, England). This is my go-to online store for organic makeup.
About the foundation
Name: Natural liquid foundation
Shade: Intense Kanapa
Cost: £38
The foundation isn’t the cheapest I’ve bought but it is well worth its price tag.
It is the perfect shade for me and I love how I can build it up where I need it. It goes on easily like a liquid foundation but dries with the longevity of a Matt foundation. It doesn’t sit in creases and looks very natural. It has a sweet scent to it making it a joy to use.
I apply with my fingers or a sponge. I like the little cap (lid) that clicks on to prevent the foundation coming out when not in use.
About the lipstick
Name: Natural Lipstick
Cost: £23
Shade: Aroha
You need to be confident to wear this lipstick every day as it is a daring colour. True red is a tricky colour to find in organic brands but Nui has done it!
It’s quite a nourishing lipstick and feels lovely on your lips, however, this means it doesn’t last long and needs to be reapplied during the day.
Repurchase
The only downside of the foundation is I didn’t know I was about to run out until it did. ?
As I had already been on a hefty shopping spree this month (probably the biggest in a decade), I had no budget left to repurchase. I had to wait until payday. ??
Surprise: Luckily, my husband knew it would make me very happy to surprise me with my favourite foundation. Upon seeing me trying to use up samples I had, he ordered it without me knowing. ?
So, you’ve written your masterpiece and created a shortlist of potential agents. Now, it is time to start querying.
What not to do
In this article I am going to encourage you to create a template cover letter with common content themes, however, do not send this template to agents. Sending a blanket email will not impress.
What you must do
Take time to make it personal
First, make sure you have time for each agent. Do not rush your query. Read their requirements and personalize the template to show them that you choose them for a reason. This will make them feel more special than if you ignore their guidelines and send them flowers and chocolates.
Common themes
I’ve been querying one of two agents a week. This enables me to think about what I am sending them. I am focused on that agent as an individual rather than as another query.
However, although requirements differ between agencies there are common themes in the content requests. I have created a ‘cover letter ideas’ document with headings for the different content requests. This helps me find the paragraphs I need for the agency and then amend to personalize it for them, saving me a lot of time.
Here are the themes:
Letter opening
Okay, no agent has requested this as content in the letter but it is a basic requirement for letter writing. I just state the reason I am contacting them ‘please represent me’.
Tagline
In the age of social media, more agents are requesting you to pitch your novel in one sentence! You can use your tagline to promote your book on sites like Twitter or Instagram.
About me
Finding an agent is a bit like dating. They want to know a bit about you to see if you are someone they want to work with. They are interested in what makes you-you.
Writing Bio
This is a paragraph or two about my writing experience. They want to know if you have ever been published, won a literary contest, completed a writing course.
About your novel
To start with they need to know the basic credentials of your book like the word count and genre.
They also want to know things such as why you wrote this novel and what is it about.
Brief pitch (Blurb)
Check what they mean but this as one agent said ‘brief pitch’ and when I read what they wanted it some described a short synopsis (see below). More agents who requested a brief pitch wanted me to sell them my story so I shared my blurb as I type of teaser to encourage them to want to read the manuscript.
One paragraph synopsis
They want you to sell the story to them and the plot in one paragraph – if you thought writing a synopsis was hard then you are going to enjoy this… Actually, I found this easier than condensing the whole plot to one page because I knew they had the full synopsis to read if they wanted so I just had to make it enticing enough for them to want to know more.
Book marketing
They may request who you think the target market is and what books it would be placed alongside in a bookshop. They need to know if the book is part of a series or have the potential to be.
Why you?
Some agents wished to know why I had chosen them. You can’t default this content as will be a unique element of the query for that individual or agency. Instead, I created some prompts:
why did they make my shortlist
what authors or titles have they been involved with that is similar to mine
Letter closing
This is a simple ‘look forward to hearing from you’ together with my valediction and contact details.
Check before you send
Before you send your query to make sure it is as perfect as you can make it before you send it:
Spell check: There are no excuses with modern processors that will check your spelling, grammar and punctuation.
Proofread: Sometimes the spell checker will miss words that are spelt correctly and make sense but are wrong. For example, ‘people go to church to worship their dog’.
Grammarly: There are apps to help check that your writing is as at it’s best. A quick scan online using Grammarly can find mistakes you otherwise could have missed.
Contact method
Many agencies today will request you send them an email or use an online form on their site. Make sure you follow the instructions for the format of documents correctly. For example:
If they request, all attachments must be .doc files, make sure you ‘save as’ and chose the correct file format.
If they ask you to send it within the body of the email then copy and paste the content into an email.
If you must paste into the online form or attach the document to their online form, please follow the instructions.
If you don’t follow the instructions, they may not be able to open your documents, it may get blocked by virus protection or their server. If you cannot view what you have sent, then you’ve wasted your time as well as theirs.
Common attachments
Preparing these common attachments before you start will save you time.
Query manuscript versions
I have a few versions of my manuscript prepared for querying to meet the most common requests. These are:
Full manuscript
First three chapters
First 10,000 words (to a suitable breaking point)
Query synopsis versions
I have a few versions of my synopsis prepared for querying to meet the most common requests. These are:
Full synopsis
One page synopsis
300-word synopsis
Keep a spreadsheet
You can get free online spreadsheet software from Google or Window Live and many smartphones even had free spreadsheet apps.
I keep a spreadsheet with the name of the agency and agent I contacted, the date I contacted them and when I expected to hear back – check their sites for details on response times. When they responded I recorded the date they replied.
I hope you have found these tips useful. I would love to hear how you got on and if you have any tips to help me too.
I didn’t grow up with makeup and, traditionally, I would only wear mascara and tinted lip balm at the weekend. At college, I started experimenting with colours and wearing the palest foundation I could afford, but was still a tad orange for me.
A love of make up
I was twenty and in my second job when I visited a Lancome counter for the first time. The woman did my make-up and I was amazed at the transformation. I promptly bought as much as I could and vowed to return. Their foundation was the closest match to pale skin and their skincare felt amazing; plus, they had deals giving away free stuff with purchases or big discounts.
For years, Lancome was my counter of choice and occasionally I would try other brands like Estee Lauder, Bobbi Brown or YSL.
Changing thoughts
I read an article about an ingredient in lipstick that causes cancer. I checked my tubes of Lancome and discovered it was present. I searched for reassurance that in small amounts it would cause no harm – this was the start of me questioning my products.
The next occasion was a girl at work who was very vocal on raising awareness of animal cruelty. She’d share horrific pictures and stories of what the beauty industry and meat industry does to animals. I started paying attention to whether brands I bought were cruelty-free and discovered many leading brands sell in China – they have a law enforcing products must be tested on animals. Sadly, many of my favourite brands were trading in China and I realized they must have allowed this to happen in order to sell there.
The final change was when I discovered my toddler sitting among a cracked pallet of eyeshadow by Pixi Beauty, finger holes in my Bobbi Brown foundation and a red-smeared face covered in Benefit’s Benetint (I suspect he had tried eating it). I was in a blind panic that he could be poisoned by my make up. I cleaned him up and realised it was time to clean up my beauty choices.
Hanging onto the baddies
Changing to clean beauty products wasn’t going to be an overnight transformation. On maternity pay (then returning to work on part-time hours), I didn’t have the funds to overhaul my makeup or skincare in one go. It was a slow gradual process.
To start, I held onto all my products. There was some trial and error in finding what worked for me as many brands are online so ordering them was a gamble. More brands are now offering affordable samples making it more cost effective to experiment. With my successes, my old brands started to get replace and the old products relocated to a box for emergencies – I was still scared to throw them out.
https://instagram.com/p/BfBWXfDhRNs/
https://instagram.com/p/BfDaJPyBayK/
Fresh start
We recently got our bathroom refitted. I had to clear everything out for the workmen to rip out our old suite and put in our new bathroom.
This finally gave me the push to say goodbye to my baddies that we’re gathering dust and out of date. I only put back the products I use that are cruelty-free and most are chemical free too.
In this featured article by Nathaniel Tower (The Juggling Writer) he shares his tops tips to help you win any writing contest you are planning to enter.
It’s been a tough three weeks without a bathroom. Luckily we have been able to stay overnight at my mother-in-law’s and there are people with bigger problems so I don’t want to complain.
My son has been really good about keeping out of the workers’ way and not complaining about the noise, mess or disruption – it hasn’t been easy for him. He would have loved to have given them a hand but it was too dangerous.
I felt he deserved a treat and when I saw Good Bubble had released a new Gruffalo range, I knew it would be the perfect treat.
https://instagram.com/p/Bf1IVlLBs_o/
He was really happy when he saw his new products sporting the Gruffalo, one of his favourite storybook characters.
The Review
Here is what I thought of the new line and the yummy fruity prickly pear scent.
Bubbly Gruffalo Bubble Bath (£3.99): The bubble bath made a decent amount of bubbles and smelt delicious. We have had the bubble bath before in Dragon Fruit and CloudBerry.
Grubby Gruffalo Hair & body wash (£3.69): It was easy to get a lather and my little boy was confidently by washing himself. We have had the wash before in Dragon Fruit and CloudBerry.
Little Softy Moisturiser (£3.99): This is new to the brand and an excellent addition. My little boy loved having his first body moisturiser. At first, he thought it was a hand cream until I encouraged him that he could apply it all over. This was easier for him to use than their Organic Coconut oil (£7.99).
Grizzly Mane Detangler (£3.99): He doesn’t have long hair that tangles but he does get flyaways so I decided to give this a go to see if it helped tame the problem. I think it has worked. It smells really good and can be used on dry hair so we are using it to freshen up between hair washes.
Dragon Fruit was my favourite but now it is the Gruffalo prickly pear. We will, definitely, be buying this again.
I was only able to get this range direct from their site but I’m hoping Sainsbury, Ocado and Holland & Barratt will get some in stock soon as they sell the rest of the range.
During November 2017, I was doing NaNoWriMo and I wrote an article with Tips on naming your character. I am always looking for more tips and today I am sharing an article by blog A Writer’s Path on four methods for naming characters.
by Ryan Lanz A common question I hear tossed about is how to create character names. Some writers find this simple, and yet others struggle with naming every single one, particularly concerning the main cast. In this post, we’ll talk about tricks and tips for creating character names, and perhaps we’ll bring some ease […]
I didn’t even know that there was an International Women’s Day until this year! I must have learnt about it at school because the movement was started by the Suffragettes in 1911. I remember studying the women and being inspired by their passion for change.
Here are some hashtags you may be interested in:
#TimesUp: Challenging sexual assault, harassment and inequality in the workplace.
#MeToo: Raising awareness of sexual assault instead of hiding it.
#PressForProgress: This is the official theme of the International Women’s Day. It has ideas to enable everybody to take part in being inclusive of women.
I have never categorized myself as a feminist but I do feel that men and women should get the same opportunities and recognition for their hard work. Change won’t be overnight but we are moving in the right direction.
To celebrate, I shall share with you the strongest female characters from novels that took action to change their world:
The Handmaid’s Tale
My first holiday with friends (no parents), my little sister gave me The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood as a beach read. I wouldn’t recommend it as a summer read but I couldn’t put the book down. It was a page-turner and I honestly couldn’t imagine what was going to happen next.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PJTonrzXTJs
Many women cannot have children in this post-nuclear world. Offred is able to have children. She becomes a slave to the rich and powerful to bear their children. She may sound like a weak character because she complies but her spirit is strong and you can feel that she is going to bring change but as she is constantly watched it will be incredibly dangerous.
The book is worth reading. Hulu recently created a TV series based on the novel and that is amazing too (next season out in April).
The Hunger Games
Sadly, I didn’t get to read the books before the film came out. The series of books is by Suzanne Collins.
It is set in a post-war world where the twelve districts have to send one girl and one boy (children) to compete in a TV Show called the Hunger Games to remind them about the innocent lives that are lost at war. The MC, Katniss Everdeen, volunteers herself when her little sister’s name is called. Her sacrifice makes her instantly likeable. What makes her a strong woman is that she decides to break the system and through her actions, she inspires and leads a rebellion for change.
The Diary of a Young Girl
I think everyone has heard of Anne Frank, the little girl who hid from the Nazi’s and kept a diary of her life surviving a world war. Her diary is a true account of what happened during her hiding.
I had no idea but apparently, there is a movie based on her diary. It is also a long time since I read her diary but I remember it being very moving, insightful and thought-provoking.
You may think that Anne doesn’t deserve to make the list because she hid, she didn’t fight, she didn’t make a difference… or did she? Writing her diary was extremely dangerous and brave. Anne’s diary has been read all over the world making her voice clearly heard regarding what happened. Her words have educated billions to change, to never let it happen again. Her diary ensures we never forget.
Matilda
The book Matilda is written byRoald Dahl. I had read the book and watched the movie.
You may think it’s strange that she has made the list but she lived with a family that didn’t encourage or support her desire to read or go to school. As young as she is, she fought for her rights. It probably did help having telekinesis powers.
Shifter series
Okay, I promise I am not being biased on this one, even though the series really captured me and is my all-time favourite. Let me explain why I think the MC is a strong woman.
The story is based around Faythe’s family who are all shifters (werecats/Panthers). It is set in today’s world but humans don’t know they exist. The shifters world is very male-dominated and the daughters are to be protected. Faythe’s father is training her to become the first female leader and she is the first female enforcer. During the series, she has to overcome a number of challenges to prove herself and it is very action packed.
The first title in the series is Stray by Rachel Vincent. I have no idea why this book has still not been made into a movie/series yet. It is so good!
What do you think?
To me, these women are all powerful and strong as the characters were overcoming difficulties that restricted them from being all they could be. Their actions brought around change.
Is there anyone you think I should have included in my top 5 list? Any books you recommend I read that feature strong women? Please comment and share your thoughts.
It is a monthly subscription box full of cruelty free beauty products. If that’s not enough to make you feel good, they also donate a portion of their profit to Animal Free Research UK from each box sold.
This product claims to improve the appearance of skin whilst providing nourishment. The main active ingredients are Kale (vitamin C & E) and Cocoa Butter.
Review: I’ve found this cream to be light. It doesn’t have a scent. It dries fast so I can put makeup on immediately afterwards. It is a small tube so I’m not sure how long this will last but the product cost is the price of the subscription fee so I’ve already got my money back with this one item.
This brand prides themselves on being diverse and creating a brand everyone can use to express themselves (reminded me of Illamasqca). The shade Tainted Cupcake is a champagne pink with rose gold. It can be applied dry or wet for a more intense pop of colour.
Review: The eyeshadow has a shimmer to it so if you are not into that this then the shade is not for you. The shade chosen is a safe choice for most people but if you fancy something more daring they have some bolder colours on their website. It also came with a free brush which I really like.
RRP $15.00 (about £10.86 by exchange rate on 4 March 2018)
Above is just a snippet of all the goodness this brand delivers. One of the first The Pip Boxes I received contained the ‘Green Clay’ face mask, I then went on to buy more products by the brand (a body oil and their petroleum free jelly).
Review: I haven’t had a chance to test this yet but I have previously used their green clay version. It is a power mask and you have to mix it with water to create a paste. If you enjoy making your masks then you will love this.
I prefer my masks already made so I wouldn’t have chosen this for myself but I am looking forward to trying it out because I know this brand always delivers and the mask will be effective. You mix up what you need and there is enough that you will get plenty of uses out of the pot making it very cost effective.
I struggled to find the product on their website but other oils in the same packaging were the organic certified oils. I expect they have just not updated the product images yet on the site and this is new packaging. There was a wide range of products on their site and gift sets for people who like making beauty products like bath bombs etc.
Review: My skin really does love organic oils. Since receiving this, I have been putting it on before bed. You only need a little bit to cover your face and it dries quick. There were also instructions on how you can use the oil for your hair or mix it to make a serum. I’m not keen on the smell of the product – it smells like cooking oil.
I will use it up but not sure I’ll re-buy. I am interested in trying their bath salts…
This brand is difficult to get in the UK but not impossible, however, I had trouble finding a supplier that sells all the shades of lip paint yet so this is possibly a new line. The product is a liquid lipstick with a matt finish and stays on all day.
Review: The shade Cowgirl is not for me. I put it on and it is a pale nude colour that made my lips look like they had no colour and I am a red lip girl. However, I couldn’t get it off and realised I was stuck with the shade all day unless I wanted to start my make-up over. I went out in it. It did last all day.
I am very tempted to get this matt lip paint in another colour because I love the fact you can put it on and forget about it and as a busy mum, doing my makeup once is about all the time I’ve got.
RRP $12.00 (about £8.69 by exchange rate on 4 March 2018)
JOM stands for ‘Just One More’ and the brand is appropriately named.
Review: So, I opened the packet to show the sweets and tried one. Before I had even uploaded the pic to Instagram, the contents was gone. Honestly, I meant to share them with my husband and son but they really were moreish. I highly recommend!
I can’t wait to order some more of these and try other flavours.
RRP £1.25
Share to social media
Currently, boxes contain a card encouraging consumers to share pics of their box and contents on social media and how to tag to enter the monthly raffle. If your pic is chosen, you win your next box free. It’s rewarding that this support and loyalty is recognised by The Pip Box.
I take pics every month because I love my The Pip Box. I then use my images on my blog. This month, I won! So, my March box will be free and the contents will be worth £65!
I’m no professional photographer. I just took pics with my mobile. This shows anyone can win. So, if you buy The Pip Box, don’t hesitate to share your joy with pics. Do it, tag it, and you may just win it.
It is a day to encourage children’s reading. Events are held across the UK to encourage children to talk about books such as dressing up as their favourite character. Many kids receive a voucher to get a sponsored book for £1 or £1 off a book of their choice.
Many publishers and other sponsors will host competitions so it is worth checking social media. Last year, I won the box set of “Percy Jackson” by Rick Riordan from Write Children’s Books For Children who ran hourly competitions on Twitter!
This year, my son has chosen to be “The Jolly Postman” by Janet & Allan Ahlberg. He loves the books which are interactive and every other page is an envelope with a letter inside (or card, puzzle or mini book, etc). Plus, he has a red bike – very cool to a 4-year-old!
Both books were bought by Noah’s aunty Hev (you can follow her blog “This Pug Can” by clicking here). No prizes for guessing which was for his birthday and which was for Christmas.
After role play in his (Postman Pat) costume as the Jolly Postman, we got warm inside with blankets, wotsits and the books themselves. Usually, we read these at bedtime but today we had time to do the puzzle and play the board game.
I also feel I need to say a big thank you to Asda. The costume sold out online. Other stores had a similar one for an extra £10 and someone was selling Asda’s costume on Amazon for twice the price! Asda tweeted back to help track down a costume for Noah. In the store, staff retrieved it from the warehouse and Noah changed his mind! He now wanted to be a lion from “How to Hide a Lion!” by Helen Stephens. We began leaving the store and he changed his mind again and did want to be the Jolly Postman. The staff returned to the warehouse to get it again. They were so helpful and friendly and didn’t complain once about the interchangeable mind of a preschool diva.
Have a jolly World Book Day
I hope you have a jolly world book day and I would love to hear about what books you have been enjoying or the characters your child dressed up as today.
Earlier this year, I wrote a blog post listing literary festivals taking place in the UK throughout the UK that have caught my eye. To read the full list, please click here.
This post is to remind you of those taking place this Spring.
This festival is made up of events and you buy tickets to participate in events. Events vary between workshops, speakers and screenings.
If you miss the event, this seaside town is still worth a visit. They have one of the most beautiful traditional bookshops, a lovely beach and chip shops.
This event promises to deliver a platform for underrepresented women writers such a lesbians. This is sure to be a positive event that is making a difference to supporting diversity and inclusion. Supported by DIVA magazine and The Guardian.
If Erotica is your thing, then there is a convention just for you. This event is in its 7th year and often sells out. It has schedule of speakers and events and is a structured event.
This year has a talk on how to blog about sex for the shy writer – aghhh the world of an erotic writer. One day I may be brave enough to write and share erotic fiction but for now the thought still makes my cheeks turn read (no, not like that!). I would probably benefit from the ‘confidence’ talk.
You buy tickets for the events you want to attend. There are a lot of authors attending and giving talks and there are events for children too. The event is not at one location but across the city so make sure you are able to get from one location to another if you booking multiple events. Filter the events by the category you are interested in, i.e. Workshops, etc.
This event is geared towards those involved in publishing but and has various talks on keeping those in the industry up-to-date with financial, legal and trending themes in the publishing world. There are plenty of exhibits covering pretty much every type of genre you can think of.
It is their 70th year running! This 17 day event will bring the streets of Bath alive with music and literature. Check the ‘What’s On’ page on the website to find events that take your interest. Each event requires a ticket and the price differs.
Everyone I know who has been to Bath has always returned gushing about how amazing it is. They are also home to one of the most well known and prestigious writing competitions (Bath Novel Award).
