Sustainability is, quite rightly, a hot topic, with documentaries like Drowning In Plastic clearly illustrating the need to drastically reduce our single use plastic habit. Luckily, you can kill (or in this case, save) two birds with one stone, as lots of small shops are offering alternatives to products we use every day, so by investing in them you will help an independent business and the planet. Win win. 

Something I would like to add is that although these products are initially more expensive than their disposable counterparts, they are built to be more durable and save you money in the long run. Swap gradually as and when you can, every change makes a difference.

"If you think you are too small to make a difference, try sleeping in a room with a mosquito."
- Tabitha Eve Co

The Get Started Box- £25, The Ethical Box
Whether you're taking your own first steps or encouraging someone else's, this box is the perfect pick, as all of the items are so easy to integrate into everyday life. It includes metal straws, a bamboo toothbrush, a cotton tote bag, and a reusable coffee cup, so just one box can eliminate loads of plastic or non-recyclable items.

These retro string bags made a comeback over Summer, and as well as making a great fashion find, they are of course a great swap for plastic grocery bags at the supermarket. As well as this cream colourway, they are available in rust or navy, or you can preorder a custom colour. 

Gift idea: order one in your recipient's favourite colour and fill it with a few natural beauty treats or eco homeware bits for a 'sustainable starter pack'.

Face wipes are Satan's creation, agreed? They don't help your skin, they don't degrade, they block drains, and they're packaged in single use plastic. The one benefit of them is that they are convenient, but there are tonnes of replacements out there, with CloudCloths being one I've tried and love. 

One side is soft while the other has a slightly rougher texture, so they're perfect for cleansing the face, but they could just as easily be used for children or household cleaning. My top tip is to soak one in warm water then pop it in a freezer bag in your handbag or car so it's ready to use, clean, repeat.

This set is such good value! Inside the pouch sit a bamboo knife, fork, spoon, and chopsticks, a metal straw, and a cotton napkin, so you're fully prepared to eat on the go and no longer have to rely on plastic cutlery wrapped in yet more plastic. Just pull out your set, eat, then either pop into a public bathroom to rinse your utensils or wipe them on the napkin and wash it at home. They also have different prints and children's sets.

An all around good-eggy company that ships in plastic free packaging and donates 10% of profits to Tower Hill Stables Animal Sanctuary, so in this case you're supporting a small biz, Mother Earth, AND cute animals- that's got to earn you some good karma, right?

Although they sell a variety of items, it's their health and beauty range that caught my eye. These shampoo cubes contain essential oils and coconut milk, the aloe vera mascara is refillable and kind to sensitive eyes, and the deodorant balms use sodium bicarbonate and clay for a fresh, dry feeling. They're all vegan and cruelty free too!

As well as providing the fab quote above, this company stocks all sorts of homeware that I didn't even know existed. Whether you're shopping for yourself or hunting down a gift for a new homeowner, you'll find something that's both practical and pretty. You really don't have to sacrifice good design here. 

My top picks are the vegan wax wraps which mould to the shape of your food like foil, but can be washed and reused, and the cotton bowl covers which sport a cute polka dot design and stretch over any bowl to protect the food inside.

What swaps would you suggest?

Prices correct at time of writing. Photographs belong to respective businesses.

Considering I blog about beauty and own an Alex drawer tower full of the stuff, I've always kept it pretty minimal, and lately I've dialled it back even more. My makeup ethos is very simple: I just want it to make the best of what I've got going on, and be able to throw it on in the passenger seat down the motorway.

Base

base base, buttery biscuit base...

A few years ago I found the MUA Illuminating foundation and fell in love Sadly it was discontinued before I could pick up another tube, so I've been mixing it with the IT Cosmetics CC+ cream (full review here), which seems to run out quickly. Not only does this combination mean I'm using them both sparingly, it creates a base I bloomin' love.

You might have seen in my full review that I didn't love the application of the CC+, so adding in the MUA foundation adds even more glow and loosens it up a little so it goes on perfectly and wears really well for the rest of the day. The CC+ is also great to bring yellow tones and skincare benefits to the foundation, which leans very pink. They really are a dream team.

I'm still looking for the perfect concealer, but I've been dabbing on some of the Revolution Conceal + Define*, and IT Bye Bye Undereye in the meantime. Both are good coverage and good for brightening my undereyes, but I need something a touch darker for my face.

My skin is drier than a stale Ryvita, so I rarely use powder, but when I do it's been the Miss Sporty So Matte* one. I picked it up on a whim but actually really like it. It adds a blurring effect to my undereyes without making my skin look dusty.

Blush

The Bourjois creme blush in 04 has been a firm fixture this month. I feel like I can be very precise with the cream-to-powder formula and keep it right on the apples of my cheeks, away from my acne scarring. I've given up on bronzer as I find that it just never sits right on that scarring and makes it look even worse, so a touch of blush has helped me not to look too pale. The cute compact makes me feel very fancy too, which is always a bonus.

Highlight

To detract attention from my pesky problem areas, and make my face look overall very healthy and glowy, I've been a bit of a highlight ho lately, sweeping the peach shade from the Sleek Solstice palette* on my cheekbones, cupid's bow, and inner corners. I've also embraced the power of the under brow highlight, and have either used the lemon shade from the palette or an Essence matte pale pink highlighting crayon to lift those furry bad boys.

Eyes

My Natural Collection bronzer hasn't completely left my makeup bag. I use it in place of eyeshadow, haphazardly dusting it on the lid, crease, and undereye to add warmth and definition. If I'm feeling fancy I'll add a swipe of the Primark rose gold glitter cream, then I always finish the look with the Bare Minerals Lash Domination Mascara. It's a bit of a bugger, because it smears under my eyes during the day yet requires intense cleansing to properly come off, but I do like the twisty brush and the effect it gives.

Lips

I've got liquid lipsticks a plenty, I've got liners and glosses galore, but do I use them? Do I heck, I stick on some sort of nude or pink tinted balm every damn day. I really enjoy Revlon's Peach Parfait, or sometimes I really push the boat out and apply a rough swipe of Topshop's Brighton Rock, a bright pink, smoosh it out, then blot off the excess.

Oh I do like to be beside the seaside, I do like to be beside the sea, so when I was offered tickets to see The British Musical Fireworks Championship in Southport, of course I jumped at the chance and decided to make a little trip of it so I could show Boy all the best bits of one of my favourite places.

We arrived around lunchtime so our first port of call was filling our rumbly tums. Nostalgia Tearooms is popular with older clientele but being a granny myself I really enjoy sitting in the sun and enjoying the homely food that's served by waitresses who wear proper frilly aprons and caps to match the vintage tearoom vibe. The staff are really friendly and their potato hash (or 'tater ash' if you're truly Northern) reminds me of my nana. test

Full of food, we decided to walk it off, and walk we did, totalling 19,797 steps that day! There are loads of good places to stretch your legs in Southport. First we strolled through the park, which has fountains, swans, a miniature railway, a fab children's playground, and even pedalos to take around the lake in Summer. Sadly they weren't out when we visited- much to Boy's relief. If you have children and a picnic you could easily spend hours in the park alone.

Since we have neither sprogs nor picnic, we ventured on to the beach, crunching razor clam shells and hunting for sea glass and other treasures the shore washed in, then followed the steps up to the pier. Despite visiting many times, this was one attraction I'd somehow missed. At the end is a little cafe-come-arcade with all sorts of old games, and on a clear day you can see right over to Wales and The Lake District. It was breezy but so peaceful to just sit there and watch the world go by.

A trip to the seaside almost always calls for ice cream, and with an even bigger walk in mind I decided it was high time to refuel with a chilly treat from Rossi's on Neville Street. Their homemade ice cream is rich, luxurious, and our Maltesers and chocolate orange cones were both delicious- I was very sad when some of mine dripped while I was absentmindedly stroking a stray cat!

The big walk I had planned was a short drive away, over on the RSPB marshes and bird reserve. Purely by chance our visit coincided with the migration of the many hundreds of geese who had flocked there, ready to take off to warmer climates. All day and night we saw (and heard) them flying overhead. It was a sight to behold, but one that made me quite sad, as I worried some might not make it there or back. I began to feel the same way about us as we walked out on the salt marshes, spotting dog prints in the sticky mud, crabs in the murky pools, and samphire sprouting by the path. If you need time and space to think, this is the place to be. The walk is very quiet and calm, but also feels very long, so be sure to wear your comfiest shoes.

After a shower and tea break back at our guest house, it was time to wrap up and head to Victoria Park (yep, another park) to see those famous fireworks. Apparently they're something of a tradition, and judging from the thousands of people lining the park and streets, one that's well loved in the town. Sadly I think that raised my expectations a bit too high. There were two displays on the night, the first of which was amazing, with fireworks twirling and trailing sparkles overhead to a soundtrack including The Greatest Showman, Whitney Houston, and a speech from Stephen Hawking that made me quite emotional. The second display was Rocky themed and unfortunately fell victim to a few technical hitches. While I appreciated the beauty of the fireworks, I felt that both shows were quite short and I left thinking "was that it?". Like the park, perhaps this is something best enjoyed by families who can experience the wonder through their children's eyes. My advice is to enjoy the atmosphere and make the most of it- take children/nieces/nephews/young siblings, put glitter on their faces, feed them a few doughnuts, and watch them have a ball singing and dancing along.

The next morning I woke up with the lovechild of a sinus infection and flu so I'm afraid we did cut our trip short, but '22 hours in Southport' doesn't have quite the same ring to it. We stopped off at Dobbie's garden centre, which has a great cafe, farm shop, and seasonal displays, but my original plan was to drive 10 minutes over to Churchtown. This little village has gorgeous botanic gardens with a mini farm, lovely pubs to lunch in, adorable old buildings and shops, and even a Peaky Blinders themed bar! I'd highly recommend a visit if you're in the area.

Where would be your favourite place to spend 24 hours?

My tickets for the British Musical Fireworks Championships were compensated in exchange for honest review.

Ah September, official mother of Autumn. First of all can I say that one of my favourites is the kids going back to school? I can go to Morrisons between 9am and 3pm without fearing that the little buggers will ask me to buy them cigarettes or laugh at my trainers, it's a whole new lease of life.

Other favourites this month are very musical. I've been clicking on music videos that YouTube suggests to me and I must say, it's unearthed some gems. The video for Still Feel by Half Alive is worth a watch in itself for the synchronised dancing, but the lyrics are actually a bit of a mental illness anthem, featuring lines like 'I've been invaded by the dark, trying to recognise myself when I feel I've been replaced... so pick me from the grave and pull me from the dark, 'cause I still feel alive'.

Another YouTube recommendation was Will Joseph Cook, which, it turns out, is his actual name and not a question. His indie/pop songs Girls Like Me and Take Me Dancing have been played on repeat this month and I think you'll enjoy them if you're a fellow George Ezra fan.

Finally on DJ WLD's playlist, No Pressure by The Kooks. I love a lot of their classic songs like Naive and Shine On, and their newest releases are just as good. This is a really sweet one that just makes me think of Summer evenings and good times with pals.

Speaking of Summer evenings, a favourite memory I made this month was an impromptu date I cooked up while it was still warm enough to sit outside. We filled up my mini incinerator to get a fire going, then sat on the garden bench under a blanket and built perfect gooey s'mores with marshmallows and McVities Thins. I highly recommend trying this one before it gets too cold, but make sure to soak the wooden skewers you roast your marshmallows on! Half of boy's snapped off in the fire and I laughed like a drain.

Another seamless segue here, from marshmallows to chocolatey treats. The ALDI salted caramel cups (basically Rolos) are a gift from the confectionery gods. Dare I say it, they're even nicer than the originals, with both the chocolate and caramel tasting really rich and creamy. The only problem is that they're such a bargain price, I want to buy (and devour) 5 bags.

My final favourite is the KIKO cream eyeshadow stick in '37'. Does anyone else hate it when brands use numbers instead of names? I would call this Cranberry, for sure! In the bullet it is a beautiful deep pinky-reddy-purple shade, which actually put me off wearing it for a good year lest my eyes looked sore, but once it's buffed out it becomes a little more brown. I've just been pairing it with a bit of bronzer in the crease for an easy Autumn look, and I think it really flatters my brown eyes.

 As the weather gets colder my mind starts to wander to the best smelling shop on the high street: LUSH. This time of year means plenty of hot baths, and that means plenty of bath bombs and bubbles. I do love me some LUSH treats, but due to the quality and fair trade of their ingredients, they are pretty pricey, so I like to find ways to make them work hard for my money. I've partnered up with lifestyle blogger Katy, from The Lilac Scrapbook, to bring you my top 5 hacks to do exactly that, while she shares her 5 favourite products to pick up.

1. If your hair feels congested or flat, use a salt scrub like Rub Rub Rub before shampooing to thoroughly cleanse and invigorate the scalp while the salt boosts volume. You can also use the scrub to massage and exfoliate tired feet, then dunk them in a tub of hot water. The salt will dissolve to make a lovely soak, totally rejuvenating your tired tootsies.

2. If you haven't got enough face mask left to cover your face, pour in some coconut or almond oil and mix. You can use this as a mask or cleanser then wipe off with a hot flannel, and your skin will be moisturised from the oil as well as benefiting from the mask.

3. I hate the soapy feeling of bubble bars on my hands, and I don't like holding them under hot water, so I pop them in a sieve! The force of the water dissolves them perfectly, making mountains of bubbles and keeping my hands happy.

4. Before you hop into a bath with your favourite bomb or bar dissolved in the water, swish a scarf or knot wrap in it, then leave it to dry. It will smell just like your favourite bath fragrance! You could even put some in a spray bottle to scent your home.

5. I have a tiny sample tin of Gorgeous face moisturiser, and when I've used it up I will use the tin to hold hydrocortisone cream for my handbag first aid kit. You could fill them with any ointment or cream to take on your travels, or use it to hold tablets or hairbands. The screwtop lid will keep them secure. The same goes for their little glass lip scrub jars.

Have you tried any of these hacks? Let me know if there are new ones I need to try, and click over to Katy's blog to see her top LUSH picks.

One of the best perks of blogging is getting opportunities to treat my loved ones, and last night I was lucky enough to do exactly that at Peter Jackson the Jeweller's Preston store. They carry ranges from a huge variety of brands including favourites like Links of London and even Gucci, and we were very kindly given Thomas Sabo bracelets and charms to personalise with their laser engraving system.

I chose my cousin's initials on one side and a star on the other because, well, she is a little star. She's won awards for her involvement with St John's Ambulance, and she's off to uni in January to start her journey to becoming a kickass critical care nurse. I really couldn't be prouder, and it's lovely to know that a simple, dainty charm can remind her of that.

That's what I love about jewellery. It can complete an outfit, but it also says a lot about the wearer and often carries great meaning for them. My everyday jewellery all signifies something, from the opal ring I was given for my 21st to my Freddie Mercury inspired bangle. Another thing that they have in common is that they are from smaller businesses, which I love to support. It just feels good knowing that buying an item which means a lot to me also means a lot to the sellers, rather than just being a drop in an ocean of profits. 

Very wrongly, I had assumed that Peter Jackson was one such huge corporation, and the name was just that, a brand title like Jack Wills or Miss Selfridge. He is, in fact, a very real and lovely person with an MBE for services to charity, and a huge passion for jewellery, which he displays through 4 stores in the North West: Preston, Bury, Blackburn, and Carlisle.

Alongside learning about Peter and his brand, we also got an insight into the diamonds on sale. Can you believe I'm 23 and I thought they came out of the ground in that classic diamond shape?! They actually come out in crooked lumps from mines which reach underground to around the length of the Eiffel tower. Once they're retrieved from the rock they are assessed by skilled workers who have passed their knowledge down through generations. They cut each facet of the diamonds by hand, and with 58 facets on a brilliant cut, that really does take patience and precision. Once the mine is empty, it's recovered to become a habitat again.

Diamonds are not rare, but high quality ones are, and they can be found in The Perfection Collection, which really is full of bobby dazzlers, as we like to say up here. More elusive still are coloured diamonds, which take their hues from minerals infiltrating them. Green diamonds are the rarest of all, so I felt very special trying on a ring worth £29,000, set with a stunning lime stone that glittered with every movement of the light.

If diamonds aren't your thing, there are plenty more pieces to tempt within the store. Call me basic, but I do love me some rose gold, with particular favourites being the Royal Clogau acorn and oak leaf pendant, a Thomas Sabo watch with a deep red face that looked very vintage, and the rose gold pearl collection, which put a modern twist on very classic pieces.

Whatever your style, Peter Jackson the Jeweller can cater to you by bringing big brands to their North West stores and website, where you can take 15% off almost anything you fancy using the code WLDID18.

Thankyou to Peter Jackson and his colleagues for hosting and kindly gifted the Thomas Sabo jewellery, Bite Club (great name!) for feeding us, and Jenny Higgins for snapping memories of the night.

"Let's go to the Royal Armouries" they said.

"It's not all armour, they've got a bit of everything!" they said.

'They' refers to my mother, and 'they' were very wrong, as I found out for myself when I visited the museum on Saturday. 

The museum is a few minutes from the motorway, right next to Leeds dock and just around the corner from an (expensive) car park. As we arrived there was a wetsuit-clad crowd preparing to dive into the canal itself as part of a triathlon- not something I would do on any Saturday morning, let alone a chilly September one! Luckily I could watch them through the museum cafe's floor to ceiling windows while I warmed up with a hot chocolate.

Sufficiently sugar fuelled, we began to explore the museum. The first exhibit is possibly the most amazing of all, and a really innovative example of design. The staircase leading to the other floors wraps around a tunnel which is hung with hundreds of pieces of armour and weaponry on the inside. Directly beneath it is a sort of table with raised mirrors, each facet reflecting the artefacts above it.

Climbing the stairs themselves, we reached a floor where we could see the pieces close up, read their descriptions, and find full suits of armour. It was at this point that I suddenly realised that these were real tools of wars and battles that had most likely injured or even killed real people, which was quite unsettling. There were such detailed, intricate designs, incredible engineering, and even examples of how swords were created hundreds of years ago, and it made me quite angry to think that humankind created weapons of torture and destruction before electricity, vehicles, and even vaccines.

I appreciated that the museum made me think more deeply about what was in front of me, and visitor engagement was encouraged throughout. There were virtual reality helmets where you could see through the tiny eye slits of the helmets, and stations to watch and listen to films depicting battles. To further bring them to life, there was a wall hung with pieces like a bill, a mace, and a dagger, which triggered a knight to explain how they could hurt him when they were touched. Not only was this exciting for younger visitors, I liked that it was a good way for visitors with impaired vision to feel for themselves and hear a description. The sensory element continued through the use of light scents in certain exhibits, such as a cinnamon and clove fragrance in an area paying mention to the spice trade.

Currently the museum puts the focus on a different legend each weekend, such as Mulan and Boudicca. This weekend was all about Arjuna the Warrior Prince, and children were invited to watch an animated film, create their own crowns, and watch a storytelling performance from a lady in traditional Indian dress. It wasn't a story I had heard as a child, so it was fantastic to see visitors of all backgrounds learning it, and of course it was a brilliant way to entertain the children. 

The Royal Armouries really does cover all areas, encompassing everything relating to armour under one roof. Aside from weapons and legends of the past, the museum touched on modern day, with exhibits for anti-war, including arms being made into art, crime and the battle against guns, and even a little case on the swords from Lord of The Rings! Despite every artefact relating to violence, I felt that the curators had done a really good job of presenting the information without making it upsetting or fearsome, which is further helped by the building itself being spacious and bright, and visitors speaking normally instead of in hushed museum tones.

I hate to say this, because entry was free and I really do appreciate what the museum do, but by the end I was all armoured out and very, very bored. We were there for 4 hours, lunch included, and each sword and breastplate began to look the same. It's so worth a visit, but unless you are a huge history or battle buff, I'd suggest either taking a lunch break in one of the two cafes or picnic area, or skipping sections altogether. The only one I'm sad to have missed is the crossbow range, where, for a small charge, you can give the bows a go- a sure fire way to pack some action into your visit! 

Would you visit Royal Armouries?