Hello my lovely eco-friends,
I have missed my blog so much over the summer! I have been flat-out working crazy hours in our bar and restaurant the whole time. Any free time I managed to squeeze in was spent with the family so I haven’t had any time to write. It feels good to be back at the keyboard at last. Well, the weather has started to change here and I absolutely love autumn as its a great time to snuggle up with a fluffy blanket and light some scented candles.
On that note, in my absence, I have discovered a really lovely online ethical gift shopping site, called Boostology. I happened to hear about them through the Ethical Influencers, a lovely online group who promote ethical businesses like this one. I was delighted to receive a gorgeous gift of a rose water toner mist in the post after getting in touch with them. Let me just say, the customer service is absolutely outstanding for a start! I have to say, when dealing with independent small businesses, the whole experience is usually way more personal. Another great reason to support smaller businesses as opposed to big corporations.
My lovely gift arrived promptly in the post in fab plastic-free, fully-recyclable packaging. It had paper tape and natural starch beads instead of polystyrene so the whole thing could go in the recycling bin or be composted. They even use recycled paper fibre filling for their padded envelopes so that it is completely plastic-free.
Ethical gift shopping has been on my mind for a long time now. I am considering starting to buy gifts for Christmas already this year, since I feel like I need something to look forward to. I adore Christmas and we are moving into our new house soon, so this year will be extra special. I hope you don’t mind my mentioning Christmas so early in the year by the way!
One of the things that impressed me the most about Boostology is that for every gift purchase made, they plant a tree! I just love the idea that you can do your bit for the environment as well as shop guilt-free there. The guys at Boostology have teamed up with Ecologi, a Bristol based company who are working on reforestation projects in the UK, and around the world.
They are currently working in Madagascar, which is home to more than 200,000 species of plants and animals that don’t exist anywhere else. According to the boostology website, shockingly-
90% of Madagascar’s original forests have been destroyed, and many of their mangrove estuaries are gone, leaving the bare earth to wash away into the sea.
We automatically make a fixed donation to Ecologi every time you place an order with us, which will allow them to plant another tree on this beautiful island. This applies to ALL orders placed, there is no minimum spend.
The cost of tree planting is taken from our profits, and is not added onto your prices. – Boostology.
So friends, if you are looking to do some ethical gift shopping or keen to buy something nice for yourself, you can be happy in the knowledge that you are doing so with care for the planet by shopping there.
As if that wasn’t a great enough reason to shop at Boostology, they offer a 60 day no-quibbles return policy. It is even extended over the Christmas period which is ideal if you are buying gifts. Any orders placed after November 1st can be returned up until the 31st of January for a refund or replacement once unused and in re-sell condition. If your item happens to arrive damaged or faulty for any reason, they will refund you the full amount including the delivery cost incurred. Sweet!
So whether its a birthday, wedding, anniversary, Christmas or any occasion that deserves a gift, you will likely find something perfect and most importantly eco-friendly on their site. They have a large range without being swamped for choice. The whole experience of shopping on their website is positive. The branding is beautiful, the gifts are pretty and useful. Check it out for yourself you will see what I mean.
It is a thoughtful present for anyone and a mindful way to shop. They have exclusive items such as volcanic potpourri (an eco friendly modern essential oil diffuser), pretty patterned cotton face masks, natural cleansing balms and lip balm kits.
The lovely rose water facial mist was a life-saver for my skin this summer. It was very hot here in France and the mask was hard to bear in the sun all day on the terrace at our restaurant. Phew, I would be able to spritz on the Skin & Tonic rose water toner to cool down and it was so refreshing! It smells absolutely amazing too so that was a nice little pick-me-up during the day. I am using it morning and evening to tone before applying my serums. I am a massive fan of rose water and this is my new fave. It comes in a glass bottle and the spray is just the right amount. Two sprays and I’m ready to face the day. Love it!
Skin & Tonic do a whole range of natural skincare and you can buy a tester kit if you want to try the range before buying. I am thinking I would definitely be overjoyed to receive one of these as a gift. It comes in a recyclable gift box with an organic cotton tote and face cloth with five travel size items. It might be perfect for travelling too (fingers crossed we can go travelling again in the near future)…
Anyhoo, I have to go and collect my little cherubs from school so I will chat to you again very soon. I have a bit more time on my hands at long last, even if it is only a couple of hours here and there. On to the next project of the house renovations. Will be back with some photos of that and some more gift inspiration probably!
Lots of love,
Ciara x
