When I saw this post on the Escentual Website it struck a cord with me and with permission I have copied and pasted it.
We all have ‘tried once, didn’t love’ makeup, skincare and toiletries.
Some of you may even have drawers full of the stuff, an archive of unsuitable presents and hasty purchases that are crying out for a new home. But don’t throw them all away in a fit of ‘New Year, New Me’ madness – if your New Year’s resolution is to detox, we’ve got a solution that will help you make others else feel a little better about themselves in 2015.
Donate your unwanted makeup and toiletries to Give and Makeup and you’ll be making a direct and tangible difference to women and children who’ve started the New Year in an unfamiliar place with limited possessions.
About Give and Makeup
Give and Makeup is a non-profit initiative kick-started in 2010 by skincare guru and all-round wonderful lady, Caroline Hirons. Upon realising that women and children who escape from abusive households arrive at women’s shelters with absolutely nothing, Caroline brainstormed useful ways in which she could help. And her answer was straightforward: to donate and encourage others to donate surplus makeup and toiletries to shelters in the hope of restoring some normalcy to the lives of those who have found themselves in a desperate situation. The idea took root, and as of 2015 the Give and Makeup initiative has ensured thousands of products have made it into the hands of those who need them the most.
Escentual works with Give and Makeup by acting as a donation point, which means that anyone who wants to donate can send their products through to us, and we will deliver them directly to Welsh Women’s Aid. It’s simple, straightforward and very easy to get involved.
What you can donate
When women and children make the brave decision to come to the shelter, they often arrive with absolutely nothing. This means every donation is very important, no matter how basic. We accept a wide range of products on their behalf:
| 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 |
Regarding the condition of the products, the rule of thumb is: ‘if you’d be happy to give the product to a friend, we’ll take it!’ If you have products that don’t appear on the list and you’d like to know whether they’re suitable for donation, tweet @escentual and we’ll be happy to help.
*Due to hygiene reasons, we can only accept the starred items in a brand new condition.
How to donate
Wrap your donation up securely and post it to:
Give and Makeup c/o
Escentual.com
63-67 Wellfield Road
Cardiff
CF24 3PA (There is further information on Caroline Hirons page which is linked above)
Escentual.com
63-67 Wellfield Road
Cardiff
CF24 3PA (There is further information on Caroline Hirons page which is linked above)
What happens to your donation
When your donation arrives with us, we sort through it to make sure that everything included fulfils the criteria. Unfortunately, there are times when we receive products that are unsuitable for use (e.g. used mascaras and products that are almost empty), so try to follow the ‘What you can donate’ guidelines above to make sure that your donation is as useful as possible. Finally, we deliver the donations in bulk to Welsh Women’s Aid, who then get those essential products into the hands of women and children in sheltered accommodation across Wales.