Focus on - Altern8

Altern8 are our newest stockist - so we're really pleased to welcome them on board! We realised that although we were stocked over in Europe, we weren't actually stocked in Scotland - which is a bit of an own goal. So, we hunted around and asked some questions, and then we found these amazing guys, up in Glasgow!

They've got a fab website, over at http://www.altern8glasgow.co.uk/, so go check them out. They stock all sorts of gothic and alternative clothes, accessories - and now vegan make up too! You can shop online using their website too, so even if they're not that local for you, you can still fill your basket to your heart's content.

Make sure you check them out on social media too, their details are here  -Facebook and Twitter. Give them a follow and help support small businesses in your area.

It's a small shop with a big heart, based in the East End of Glasgow, in the Forge Shopping Centre, in Market Village. The proprietors are really approachable, and if there's something you'd like to see stocked in their shop, they encourage you to tell them about it. Which is a pretty customer focused way of doing business, I reckon!

We really like them, because they fit our ideals of being all about something different. We try to only make things you can't normally find on the high street, and they try to only sell those kind of things. So, it looks like we're made for each other! xox

One of our lovely perfumes, now available north of the border.

It's our birthday, we'll give you discount if we want to!

July is our 6th birthday - and we're pretty excited about that! In all honesty, we never thought we'd grow from our humble beginnings on a stall in Chester Market to where we are today - stocked up and down the country, sending orders all over the world. So thanks, because that's all down to you guys!

We're giving you plenty of notice about our birthday this year, not because we want a present off you - but because we want to give you a present! We've got four fab offers that will be available throughout the month of July, a different one each week.

The first offer is valid from the 1st - 7th of July, and we'll be giving you a free lipbalm with any order of a lip paint made through our website. This offer is automatic, and you don't need to do anything to claim your freebie, we'll simply throw it in with your order, Exciting, huh?!

Our next offer is valid 8th - 14th July, and this time we'll be giving away a free skincare sample with any purchase made through the website during that week. It could be a sample of our Dry Skin Balm, our Cuticle oil, or even something new we're trying! Again it will be automatic, so you can just make your purchase, and then wait for the surprise!

On the 15th - 21st July you'll be able to claim free delivery on any order made through our website, with no minimum spend. All you need to do is use the code Freebie - it'll only be active for this week, so make sure you use it before it runs out!

Lastly, on the 22nd - 28th July we'll be offering free samples of our amazing perfume range, free with any purchase through our website. This last offer is automatic too, just make your purchase and sit back and wait to see what we send you!

Sound like a plan? We're really looking forward to a busy and exciting July, and we hope you are too! xox

Dry Skin be gone!

So, you've probably seen our Dry Skin Balm around, but not been too sure what to do with it, or why you should buy it. Sound like you? Well, dear reader - now's the time to find out!

We're not lying either, it really IS a super skin saviour. Remember we told you we liked having product ideas that came from our customers? Well this is just that! We had a customer who approached us, asking if we could make our classic lipbalms in REALLY big tins. At first we were concerned for the size of their lips, but then they clarified - our lipbalms were the only product that cleared up their eczema.

So, we thought long and hard about it. I mean, the main ingredients in the lipbalm are great - that's why it was working so well on their skin. But there are extras in the lipbalm, such as mineral colours, and lip safe flavour oils. Neither of which you need on your arms, legs or whatever.

We had a little play with the recipe, and we decided to add in some essential oils designed to help speed up the skin's recovery. We spoke to our friendly Lab Guys (tm) who advised us on how best to adapt the recipe to suit a different body part. Once that was all in place, our new products were fully safety assessed. Hurrah!

We launched 3 scents - Natural (unscented), Orange & Vanilla and Rose & Mint. They are all perfect for dry, sore, delicate skin - but the Natural might be your best bet if your skin is REALLY sensitive!

Our original plan was to offer the Dry Skin Balm as a solution to common problems such as eczema and psoriasis. But while we were testing them, we found a whole lot more uses too!

1) Sunburn. Rub generously into sunburned skin as often as you like. Our testers found that the redness died away much quicker, and they were left with healthy looking, golden skin.

2) Shaving/Waxing rash. Testers used the balm on both delicate, shaved skin and sore waxed skin. They all found their skin was much softer, smoother and happier.

3) Bites. Very common in summer months, bites can be eased by smearing a small amount of balm on top. This will stop the itching, and stop you scratching!

4) Allergies. A common tip is to smear any balm just underneath/inside your nostrils. This acts as a barrier to any allergens you may breathe in.

5) Lip Balm! Since its the same recipe, you can use your balm pretty much anywhere you like.

So, we don't judge. Use it on your patches of dry skin, on Eczema, on sunburn - anything you like! All we do ask, if you've had a success story with our Dry Skin Balm, please let us know.

xox

Focus On - Simply V

Simply V are another of our fabulous stockists. They're based in Cardiff, and we really would encourage any of our lovely Welsh customers to pop in and see them!

These guys are insanely good. Yes, they stock fab Fairypants items, but they are also well known for their home made vegan goodies - the likes of which you've never seen before! They've even featured on Buzzfeed, in a list of must try vegan foods - check it out here!

http://www.buzzfeed.com/ailbhemalone/praise-seitan

How cool is that! But remember, we knew them before they were famous.

They stock a few different Fairypants lines, and they've got all-important testers for the perfume, so if you're undecided which fragrance to go for, then they should be able to help you!

Our immense perfumes

Being stocked by Simply V was pretty important for us - we'd broken into the Netherlands, but we still weren't stocked in Wales, Ireland or Scotland, which was a massive deal for us. Just when we thought it wasn't to be, along came the team at Simply V, and they made our dream come true!

As we've said before, it's really important for us to be stocked in lovely shops up and down the country. It means we're reaching more people. Yes, we sell through our website, but lots of people wouldn't find us on their own - maybe they don't have a computer, don't do internet shopping, or perhaps didn't know they were looking for us in the first place.

So, teeny weeny or huge and imposing, local shops are where it's at for Fairypants.

Check out Simply V's website here - http://simplyvcardiff.weebly.com/, and add/follow/like them on social media here - https://www.facebook.com/SimplyVCardiff?fref=ts, https://twitter.com/simplyvcardiff.

They are a must if you're in the area, but don't blame us if you buy loads of lovely cake.
xox

Can jewellery be Vegan?!

We make other things too - not just cosmetics. (Surely it's never JUST cosmetics though, am I right?)

Our website is full of jewellery and accessories - it's how we started out. The cosmetics has been a natural progression, it just kinda happened. Making jewellery was our first step. And just when I think maybe I should scale back the jewellery, or separate them into two separate businesses - I realise how often people buy from both areas.

I always get excited when I look at orders, because it's always nice to see which products are flying on any particular day. And often, you guys really mix it up - buying a lip balm, some earrings and a nail varnish, maybe.

Necklace £5.99

I can't blame you though, this stuff is pretty cool! And I guess we can call it Vegan, since no animal bits n bobs are used at any step along the way. It just feels strange - if it's made out of metal and plastic, how could it NOT be Vegan?

I suppose it's more about enhancing our brand. People know we do super cool Vegan cosmetics - we need to make it clear that EVERYTHING we make is obviously Vegan too. And we only ever make things that we think look cool, and a bit different. So perhaps it wouldn't be a good idea to separate out these two parts - they're like two sides of the Fairypants coin.

And you guys seem to like it that way! xox

Earrings £3.49

The future's ... black?

Or maybe it's bright, too. Black just sounded funnier. We always like to bring new products out as often as we can, in 2014 alone we launched Dry Skin Balm, Nail Varnish and Perfume, along with several new items of jewellery.

Rock n Roll Necklace £5.99

So far in 2015 we've brought you our lovely Lip Paint and Cuticle Oil (more on those later!). So - what's next, I hear you cry? Well, we're not too sure. See, it can take a looooong time in between us deciding we should make something, to actually making it and letting you buy it. As such, we might have a few irons in the fire at any one time.

Currently, in our pipeline we have foundation, mens aftershave and a range of skincare products. These are all at various stages, from inception, through to product testing. We don't know which one will be ready first though, so you'll just have to wait.

Product development is our favourite thing - we love ideas from you guys, and we love translating the ideas in our own heads into reality. Sometimes it's hard, but the end product is always amazing!

So keep your eyes peeled on here, and on our social media for announcements about new products. And if there's something you'd really like us to make, please drop us a line at info@fairypants.co.uk. We might be making it already, or it might be something we haven't thought of yet!

The smell of success

Is Parma Violets, apparently.

We've always loved perfume over at Fairypants HQ. If you've read other posts, you'll realise that actually we just love all beauty products, but for the purposes of this installment, we'll just be talking fragrance.

In August of 2014 I had a dream, and in the dream I was making perfume. When I woke up, I thought -HANG ON, WHY AREN'T I DOING THAT?! I had thought about it before, but I reasoned that it would be too expensive, and too hard.

But that dream made me look into it a bit further, and I realised I was wrong - it wouldn't be THAT hard. So I bought small volumes of the right ingredients, and got really excited about creating a range that complimented my most popular products at that point - my lip balms.

Obviously the lip balms are based on cakes and cocktails - and I thought people might not want to smell of Mojito, so I decided to only copy a few scents (such as Irish Cream) and create some new ones too. (like Strawberry Jam!)

The main problem standing in my way was - what do I put it in? For a business of this size, proper perfume bottles with the metal spray top were out of the question. I thought about a spray top made of plastic, but it did not fit in with our brand at all. Then, miraculously I found the bottle above. Retro styling? Check. Cuteness factor? Check. It might not be that practical, but it sure looks good. The pipette style applicator dispenses just the right amount, and the bottle is a massive conversation starter!

So I decided on 10 fragrances, and paid through the nose to have them all safety assessed in the lab. Who knew that the art of putting chemicals directly on your skin was so heavily regulated? (Anyone who gives it some thought, clearly).

Those final 10 are Irish Cream, Strawberry Bellini, Pina Colada, Moscow Mule, Cuba Libre, Parma Violet, Strawberry Jam, Apple Crumble, Berry Cheesecake and Peach Melba. I didn't really know which ones would become favourites. If I'm honest, I thought Parma Violet would be a bit of an acquired taste.

How wrong I was.

This bad boy has slowly become a cult favourite. In the space of a few months, its popularity definitely exceeded my expectations. It launched in September, then half the country woke up to it on Christmas Day*. (*slight exaggeration. Possibly). 

People evidently want to smell like the inside of a sweet shop. On the back of that revelation, I decided to launch another range - five new scents based on sweet shop favourites. Mint Humbug, Rhubarb & Custard, Blackcurrant Liquorice, Cola Bottles and Milk Bottles. We've yet to see a clear favourite, but my money's on Rhubarb & Custard. It's fit.

xox

Cute and practical pipette applicator

Focus on - Chester Health Store

Chester Health Store

This is one of our newest stockists, but it's also the only stockist in our home town of Chester! Maybe one day we'll have a shop all of our own in Chester, but until then it's pretty exciting just to have our products within the city walls.

Chester Health is run by the fab Niki, and is the perfect place to find all your essentials. From supplements to skincare, the shelves are heaving with exciting products. Some of it may need more explaining than others, but the knowledgeable staff will be on hand to sort you out!

Chester Health is the latest venture for Niki, after opening the sister store, Heswall Health. So far, she stocks a couple of our nail varnish ranges - you can find them near the till. If you're local, make sure you pop in and say hello. Take your purse with you though, you'll probably leave with armfuls of goodies! (We do, every time we go...)

Make sure you follow Chester Health on social media, Facebook is here  https://www.facebook.com/chesterhealth

And Twitter is here - https://twitter.com/chesterhealth

One of the ranges stocked at Chester Health

We're really excited to work more with the Chester Health Store - as we said, it means a lot to be stocked in Chester. Hopefully this is the beginning of a lovely friendship (maybe we should make one of those bracelets?!).

So take yourself off exploring, the shop lives on the Rows in Bridge Street, not far from the entrance to the Precinct. Make sure you say hello, and it would be pretty cool if you bought some of our AMAZING products while you're there. #justsaying

xox

Everything has a sell by...

No really, it does. If you buy your products from the high street you will usually see the symbol below somewhere on the packaging.

The number inside can change, it will usually be 12 or 24 - this refers to how many months you can use the product for, before throwing it away. We use this symbol too, you will find it on our ingredients labels.

We can't speak for high street brands, as they may use some preserving agents - but we don't. Thus, our products have less ingredients, and so may not last as long as the high street version.

Lets take our lovely lipbalms.

These bad boys have a 'use by' of 12 months. This is shown on the ingredients label. We also use the month/year of production as part of the batch number. This is handwritten on the ingredients label, and might say something like RS0415. This means it's Raspberry Sambuca, and it was made in April of 2015. You then have 12 months during which the product is at it's best. You can happily use it afterwards, just some elements may deteriorate slightly. It might not smell/taste as strongly, the colour might have changed a bit. Nothing major.

This is one of the reasons we keep our batch numbers small - so you guys always get the freshest product possible. We would never sell you something close to the end of its 12 months of fabulousness. So don't worry.

As for our other products (like our immense perfume) you can use general guidelines on how long to keep your product. Things like perfume and nail varnish naturally have more chemicals in them than lipbalm (no matter how hard we try!) and so these act to keep the product at its best for longer.

Your best resource for advice on how long to keep beauty products can be found here - this advice applies to our products and any you buy on the high street. The only one I would argue with is Nail Varnish, in my (vast) experience they last an awful lot longer than 12 months.

http://beauty.about.com/od/makeuptrickstips/a/shelflife.htm

Hope that's made our labelling a little clearer for you, if you have any questions please leave me a comment of email them to info@fairypants.co.uk

xox

Come meet us on Sunday!

We don't do too many events, but you can usually find us at Judy's Affordable Vintage Fair when it rocks up in our home town of Chester.

Fairypants is a full on business, and we can't usually give up our weekends to journey up around the country meeting all our lovely customers. Sadface. However, Judy's fair comes to Chester 2-3 times a year, and we tend to get pretty excited about it.

We'll be there this Sunday (3rd May) and you'll find us somewhere inside Chester Town Hall. If you're local to Chester and you're looking for something a little different, defo come along. Not just to see us (we don't want to seem big headed) but to see all the other fab stalls. You can even come just to have a look around the gorgeous building itself. If you've never been inside, it's certainly worth a visit.

Judy's is the UK's leading vintage fair, and don't fret if you can't make this weekend, they have plenty of events up and down the country, check their calendar here - http://www.judysvintagefair.co.uk/ 

And don't be turned off if vintage clothes aren't quite your thing (I can NEVER find exactly what I want to fit me!) there are other lovelies to tempt your purse out of your bag. Some stalls have amazing homewares, you can often find something like a Woman's Weekly from the 70s -  I love that sort of stuff! And there is always some gorgeous vintage jewellery pieces - these are a great inroad into vintage living, and can always be worn with modern clothes.

Lastly - if you do come along, make sure you find us and introduce yourself! We love meeting our customers, and we're always up for a chinwag. We also usually have sweets or snacks knocking about, so pipe up if you need a sugar fix.

We'll be debuting our brand new Sweet Shop perfumes which we're really excited about (we'll have all our testers primed and ready!) and we're making some samples of some new things we're thinking of making. We'll be giving those samples away to our customers - but remember it's first come first served, we may run out!

Can't wait to see you - 11-4, Sunday 3rd May. xox

Us at the last fair in February - look out for the lights!