UK Based Ethical Brand Christmas Gift And Wish List Ideas

It's nearly Christmas! Where has 2016 gone? With Christmas shopping looming you may be short of ideas - what do you buy the woman who believes in supporting ethical and sustainable brands? Fear not - I have selected 3 wonderful UK based brands that I believe any ethically minded women will love.  

UK Based Ethical Brands For Your Xmas Wish List (And Mine)

DFYNorm Ethical Fashion Brand For Women 

DFYnorm - a unique UK based fashion label which I have shown my support for over the past 6-months. The co-founders are both wonderful ladies that care about the whole process and are fighting the corner for fashion with a conscience. Check out my Loved by RSL page to find out more. 

Visit the Dfynorm website now and take a look at their range of timeless pieces - forget fast fashion, this is slow fashion at its best. 

www.dfynorm.com - and use discount code RStylelee to get 20% off! 

On my personal wish list is the Ikat Jacket, size 8 ;-)  

AmaElla Ethically Made Organic Lingerie For Women

AmaElla is a social venture based in Cambridge, they have just recently secured their funding through their very successful crowdfunding campaign. I have been a very loud supporter of this brand, having interviewed and met the co-founders and presented at their fashion ethics party - it's fair to say this is a brand I am fully behind. Their range of organic lingerie is so beautiful - I can vouch for the quality having seen it!

Visit the AmaElla website now to find out more about the brand and what they stand for. Visit the AmaElla crowdfunding page to take a look at their range - and make a christmas purchase! They have some promotional Christmas offers on! 

Forget cheap polyester underwear, ethically and sustainably sourced is all the rage this year! This is organic, low environmental impact luxury lingerie at its best. 

On my personal wish list is AmaElla Deluxe set! 

Jakes Boost Nut And Seed Butters 

Yum. Let me just emphasis that YUMMM again. I was introduced to Jakes Boost through the co-founders of AmaElla, I've also interviewed the female force behind the brand! Ansje and her partner are both passionate about ending child poverty in the UK and every jar of Jakes Boost helps feed a hungry child - how great is that? 

Visit the Jakes Boost website now to find out more about the brand and what they stand for. You can also order their nut butters and snacks online. 

Forget supermarket bought peanut butter filled full of nasties - buy a jar of goodness that feeds you all the nutrients you need and know your purchase has helped to feed a hungry child too! Double satisfaction. Double the love. 

This is what supporting homegrown brands and small businesses in the UK is all about. 

On my personal wish list is a monthly supply of the super-boost nut and seed butters! 

Everyone has a story 

This year has been nothing short of a whirlwind for me. I have discovered so much more about myself, what I believe in and so many wonderful brands that care about the same issues as I do.  My behaviours and my actions support my beliefs and that's important to me. I made a conscious decision to stop buying things without first knowing the story behind it. 

The 3 brands featured all have great stories.  It just so happens that the 3 brands featured are co-founded by women, inspirational women at that! These women have been on my podcast show and/or been interviewed by me. The products I can personally endorse because I have reviewed and tested them (except AmaElla as I haven't actually tried on my lingerie yet as it needs to be made, but I have physically seen the samples) and the brands all meet my strict ethical and sustainable criteria. Win-win. 

Check the Roberta Style Lee Podcast to find out more about these brands and their stories. Not all the interviewed are up yet, but keep checking back to see when their interviews go live! 

Until the next time - stay fab!

Roberta x 

You can find out more about Roberta Style Lee over on the website at www.robertastylelee.co.uk 

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Get inspired by DFYnorm - clothing for the empowered women

Women inspire me. Motivated, successful and confident women really inspire me. Real women with real stories are inspirational. Women that defy the norm and design products/deliver services that help women feel better about themselves or empower women - seriously inspire me! With so much talent and inspiration out there I thought I would start a new #inspirationalwomen series for my monthly newsletter. I decided to post a few teasers on the blog - starting with this one. I hope you enjoy reading it. If you want to catch the whole series SIGN UP HERE. 

An interview with the co-founder of DFYnorm the up and coming ethical fashion brand - 15 June 2016,  London

I met Haseena in a hotel bar not far from Oxford street. She is the co-founder of an up and coming ethical brand called DFYnorm who make high quality fashion items for the empowered woman. Haseena arrived looking casual but elegant wearing an aztec print jacket (which has it's own story!) over a black dress teamed with a tan satchel. We sat down at a table and ordered a bite to eat and some non-alcoholic drinks before the interview commenced. 

Here's a short 2-minute video which explains more about the brand and why I was so keen to know more about the inspirational women behind it:

Me: Thanks for meeting with me Haseena - so I'm excited to hear more about your story, tell me what motivated you to come up with the DYFnorm clothing brand? I love that you've dared to be different in your attitude towards fashion. 

H: Well it all started because my co-founder and I were fed up with the mainstream fashion industry and what it represented.

The clothes we wear not only communicate who we are but also have a huge impact on the world, socio-culturally as well as environmentally. There is so much throw away and waste. Garments are no longer investments. I’d rather be making clothes that are meaningful and connect people with their truth. Fashion can play a role in inspiring women on a journey of self-discovery.

Me: Empowering stuff! I love it. 

H: I believe in the Vivienne Westwood ideology about buying less but choosing well. If you are smart about your fashion, you will be able to buy pieces that are investment worthy and well-thought-out. My co-founder came up with a really interesting phrase- “Shop for a reason. Not a season.” It's why we created a brand that cared.

Me: I believe that ‘clothing’ is more than just functional material. It’s nice to hear such a passionate voice for more meaningful and ethical fashion.

H: I want my designs to appeal to powerful women, leaders and creators who are unafraid to defy the norm.

Me: That’s great! You sound like a brand that is pushing the boundaries and making ethical fashion elegant. 

H:  Thank you. It is, and we like to think we are. I like what you do too. Unlike most stylists, your approach with feeling good from the inside first feels more authentic and real - I’m sure many women will relate to that. 

Me: Thank you - I love what I do. Empowering people to look good, feel good and live a great life is so rewarding. I have to ask...what is the secret to your confidence? 

H:  My confidence? I never really think about it. I keep all my interactions very honest and personal. I wear my own brand a lot because I love what we’ve made - and it makes me feel good to wear great fitting, high quality clothes that are made with a real purpose. 

Me: What about exercise? I use fitness as a tool to keep me sane, happy and confident. What do you do to stay fit and healthy? 

H: I have to say yoga is my favourite form of exercise. When I work out 3 times a week, I feel like everything else falls into place - and I eat right automatically too.

Me: Exercise and food are two hugely important components of a happy healthy lifestyle - I always say 'fuel your ambition with good nutrition'. When my exercise and nutrition is on point my confidence skyrockets - I genuinely feel like I can take on the world! 

H: That’s so true. I know what you mean. 

Me: Well, I think that brings us to the end of our interview. Thanks for your time and I look forward supporting you on future projects! 

H: Yes – I am open to what the future holds. I like that we both have a lot of resonance with what we do. I look forward to seeing your ‘brutally honest’ review of the clothes I send you!

Me: I look forward to reviewing them!

I left the interview totally inspired by the vision that Haseena and her co-founder have for DFYnorm. It made me think about what other things I can do moving forward to support great women who are out there trying to make a difference.  So will you join me? Will you dare to defy the norm and do some good today? DFYnorm have made it super easy for you.... you can look good, feel good - and do good! Just visit their website to see the full collection at www.dfynorm.com and use take advantage of the special discount code below.

    


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Stay fabulous ladies and whenever possible always try to stay informed! 

Roberta x

Notes: 

This interview was carried out by Roberta Style Lee as part of the Inspirational Women series. DFYNorm is a brand created by two inspiring women set to revolutionise fashion and what it stands for. 

DON'T MISS OUT ON FUTURE INTERVIEWS - SIGN UP TO MY NEWSLETTER HERE: http://www.robertastylelee.co.uk/#!subscribe-to-the-newsletter/umwhr 

You can see more over on the website at www.robertastylelee.co.uk and other #RSLRecommended products and services all reviewed and tested by moi.

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Confidence Boosting Permanent Eye Make-Up

When we talk to people, the place we focus on the most is their eyes. We see so much out of them, but see so much when we look into them; it's why the eyes are known as the window to the soul. Given they have such an important job, is it such a bad thing to find ways to really make them sparkle and shine? Of course not. 

When we are sick our eyes are dull. When we are healthy and feeling fabulous our eyes twinkle. With that in mind, I started to think about how I could give my eyes that extra sparkle. I'm was never very good at using eyeliner or doing eye makeup so it seemed pointless wearing eye makeup - and wearing it badly. When I got invited to Natural Enhancement to get permanent eye makeup done, I considered the benefits: perfect eyes every time, in no time at all. The idea seemed appealing to me and worth exploring. 

The fear 

I will be honest the idea of having a needle scraped across my eyelids for vanity purposes made me question myself. What was I doing? However, the eyebrow tattooing I had done by Andrew Stassi the owner of Smudge Free completely changed my face and the small procedure absolutely sky rocketed my confidence. I was sure that the eye makeup would do the same. 

The treatment


Yes - it's unpleasant. I'm not going to pretend someone tattooing your eyelids and lower lash line is fun. It's OK though - I was able to manage the discomfort and get through it. 

The first lady I had it done with at Natural Enhancement didn't quite do the eyes how I expected. Now this is a real consideration with anything you get that's permanent. If you don't like it - it can have the opposite affect on your self-confidence. Unfortunately for me - I did not like the way the lower lash line was tattooed - it looked too unnatural. As  all good companies should, I was invited back to get it corrected and that is when I met the eye expert Kim Balaskas. 

Getting the perfect shape doesn't happen in one go

It's a slow step by step process

Slowly adding to the line and adjusting the shape

Filling the line to enhance the shape of my eye

And creating the perfect flick to shape the corner of the eye. 

Before the needle comes out

The numbing lotion goes on at the start of your appointment - it takes about 20 minutes for it to kick in. Then the shape is drawn on (this often takes the most time - see pics above ). 

Then the tattooing is done straight afterward whilst your eyelids are numb. 

I have a little video below of the tattooing process - apologies for the quality but this is the only one I was able to get with my eyes shut! 

Natural_Enhancement_EyeLiner_Tattooing from Roberta Style Lee on Vimeo.

The correction process

For my correction/touch up Kim put me at great ease and even put extra numbing lotion on and allowed it to stay on my eyelids for longer so I could no longer feel them. She really 

helped me and my nerves (in anticipation of the discomfort and it going wrong again). 

A technician should move fast when tattooing your eyes and she/he will keep your eyelid held very taught. This prevents all the blinking and crazy eyeball movement. If the technician is experienced she will make you feel at ease and the process should be over quite quickly. 

The result

I recommend seeing Kim. She was great for the touch up - I would have liked to have her for the original treatment.  In actual fact, it was a pain free correction/top-up. Kim worked fast and managed to balance out my eyeliner make-up - she even made it look better than I expected. 

My eyes itched and I did not look like my sparkly most fabulous self for a couple days. My eyelids were swollen and pink. The tattooing was very bright and obvious. After a week it settled and now all I can say is I love having the permanent eye makeup. 

I didn't think I was an eye makeup person until Kim showed me how amazing my eyes could look. I would have never created the shape that Kim gave me, but now I love it. Everybody always compliments me on it too (see pic at top of page - this is 1 week afterward). 

My secret weapons

• Andrew Stassi - North London (Crouch End) for my perfectly shaped eyebrows 

• Kim Balaskas - North London (Muswell Hill) for my eyeliner

I have to say thanks to both of them I now have beautiful looking eyes that frame my face (and make me feel more beautiful). I was never a fan of my eyes and used to shy away from wearing eye makeup and drawing attention to them. 

But let's be clear here ladies. - it wasn't my eyes that were the problem it was my confidence. I wouldn't have had this done to create self-confidence - only boost it. Confidence and beauty comes from within. Once I found my inner confidence I started using all these little beauty tricks to help boost my self-esteem that little bit further. 

Eyeliner tattooing = time and money well spent. 

When I look good I feel great - and when I feel great I feel empowered, I feel like I can take on the world! Watch out!

If you have any questions about the treatment (I haven't gone into detail) - feel free to ask me! Just add a comment below. 

Stay fabulous ladies - and remember it's always about beauty on the inside first, beauty on the outside second. 

Roberta x 

You can see more over on the website at www.robertastylelee.co.uk and other #RSLRecommended products and services all reviewed and tested by moi.

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