True Crime With Caledonian Kitty : August 2018

August favourites 2018

Can you believe how fast this year is going. It seemed like August just happened in the blink of an eye. Now we're getting ready for the autumn/winter months and I have to say that I'm excited! A lot of bloggers like this time of the year because of the fashion, the festive feeling, the yummy drinks and food and the beautiful changes all around.

Well, It's been a while since I did a favourites post and thought I would share with you what I've been loving lately. As you can see I started with a picture of Chocolate. I have a thing for dark chocolate together with mint and these chocolate bars I have loved since I was little. Technically they're not just an ''August favourite'' but I've treated myself to a few this month so I thought I would include it here.

I bought this divine body butter months ago and it's lasted me for so long. I've just used the last few bits of the tub and it was a sad moment but another excuse for me to stock up on some more Kiehl's products.

This was fantastic for my skin and absorbed very quickly but left my skin really soft even up until the next day. I think this product is an absolute must for the coming autumn/winter months especially if you have dry, sensitive skin like mine.

This delight retails at £37.00, it may be a bit pricey but you get a lot of bang for your buck as they say and like I mentioned before, this lasted me months and I love it so much that I'm going to order some more. You can purchase this skin gem here

I loved this collaboration with the fabulous The Pip Box it was the first time that I'd tried and come across a cruelty free subscription box. I thought it was a brilliant way for people who were trying to make the switch to cruelty free products find out where the best brands and products were. I also thought it was an absolute bargain for £20. You can find out what I thought about it here and you can treat yourself to one of these lovely subscription boxes here

You can find the fantastic 'The Pip Box' on social media, you can find them at:

The Pip Box - website | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook

One of my all time favourite brands I Love collaborated with me earlier this month and I became obsessed with their new scents. I bragged all about it in this post but two of the products that stood out for me straight away is the Exotic fruits body mist and the scrumptiously scented Glazed raspberry body butter

You can find out more about 'I love' on their:

Website | Blog | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook

Another collaboration I loved this month that was also fabulous and cruelty free was Yes to UK they have such an amazing range of skincare products which are such a delight for people who have sensitive, spot prone skin like mine.

You can find out my thoughts on the 'Yes to UK' products together with stockists here and To find out more about the fabulous range of products that Yes To have to offer, check them out on their:

Website | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook

I've been loving this shade 'Damson' by Barry M Cosmetics It gives me 80s vibes and lasts all week. I always paint my nails on a Sunday and whenever I use a polish from Barry M it always lasts right through without chipping.

I bought this polish from Superdrug for only £3.99

Well, that's my favourites for this month. What are yours? Let me know in the comments below or tweet me at: @CaledonianKitty

Thanks as always for checking out my latest post, see you in the next one x

*Some of the products featured in this post were kindly gifted to me, others were purchased by myself. All thoughts and opinions are 100% genuine and all pictures are my own*

My thoughts on The Pip Box

If you're looking for the ideal cruelty free subscription box, look no further than (award winning) The Pip Box not only do you receive a cute box every month filled with at least 5 beauty goodies, you'll also find other surprises in there such as money off codes and info on the products in the box and where to find more cruelty free skincare.

For those of you that follow me here or on social media, you'll know that I'm a proud vegetarian and fierce animal lover so I always have such respect for brands that are cruelty free. I remember years ago when it was quite hard to find cruelty free products but it's refreshing to see that so many fabulous cruelty free brands like 'The Pip Box' are available now.

I've been lucky enough to review 'The energise edit' (August) box and I've shared my thoughts on the goodies which were included in this months box below. Every month the beauty treats in the boxes will vary so you'll get some little surprises every month. Next months box 'The Zen box' sounds really relaxing.

Oh, and did you know that 50p of every box sold is donated to the charity animal research UK.

'The energiser edit' was focused on health, fitness and well being. What did I think?, have a look....

So, this lovely colourful palette is the Benecos concealer palette which retails at £7.95. This palette is perfect for getting rid of those dark circles under your eyes after a bad night's sleep. It also has a nice, light scent to it which I love. Some concealer palettes can have a strong scent to them but this is lovely.

The Human+kind face cleanser which retails at £7.95 for 40ml is fantastic. Not only does it melt away makeup but it also deeply cleanses and removes impurities as well as exfoliating your skin. The cleanser also contains skin goodies such as rosehip and calendula.

I'd never tried natural deodorant before so was surprised at how lovely and refreshing this was. The Fit pit peppermint natural deodorant is so easy to use. All you need is a little pea sized amount and the little jar is enough to last you for about 3 weeks. The peppermint scent is so energising and uplifting. The deodorant retails at £4.00.

This gorgeous scented Naissance work it out, massage oil has got a lovely, addictive ginger and black pepper scent and silky smooth oil that is great for soothing aching, tired muscles especially after a work out. This divine oil retails at only £4.49 for 100 ml and it's fast becoming a favourite product of mine.

This product was another favourite of mine from the box. I love energising room sprays, they make such a difference to how you feel and really freshen up the air. This Made By Coopers 'awaken mist' which retails at £6.00 for 30ml, contains a gorgeous blend of grapefruit, orange, black pepper, palmarosa and frankincense. Two or three spritz of this into the air is enough to give you a little boost and you can also spray it on linens although they advise you to test the spray a little first just in case it stains.

As well as the lovely skin treats you've just seen, there was also some voucher codes, a yummy sachet of T+ detox apple & blackcurrant tea, a vegan life digital download magazine worth £3.99 and an amazing free day ticket (which would usually cost £15.00) to 'Planet based live' in London.

All these goodies for only £20.00 a month. The average value of each box is £45+. Like I mentioned earlier in the post, every month is a different theme and you're introduced to some amazing cruelty free brands. No longer do you have to search to find the best cruelty free brands out there, The Pip Box takes care of all that for you.

Once you become a subscriber, if you refer 3 of your friends to 'The Pip Box' you will receive your next box absolutely free!!

So, there you have it! look out on my Twitter page for an amazing chance to win one of these fabulous boxes.

Don't forget to check out the fantastic 'The Pip Box' on social media, you can find them at:

The Pip Box - website | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook

As always, thanks for checking out my post & I'll see you in the next one x

*Samples kindly provided to me for this post, all thoughts, opinions are my own and 100% genuine. All pictures are my own*

The heartbreaking story of Katelyn Nicole Davis | Tribute post

I was watching some videos on you tube the other night and a recommended video popped up. I had been watching some true crime documentaries and this video just appeared. I clicked on it, thinking it would be something to do with what I was watching and soon learned of the heartbreaking story of Katelyn Nicole Davis.

Katelyn Nicole Davis had a hell of a life and she never got to reach her 13th birthday. Her story is heartbreaking and if you're of a sensitive disposition you may want to leave this page. I want to start by telling you a bit about Katelyn. She was an aspiring vlogger, blogger, singer and comedian. Some people knew her as 'ITZ Dolly' online and she would post live streams and blog posts about her daily life.

Her daily life was a struggle and she bravely posted live streams telling her viewers (and showing them) what her life was like. Living in a dilapidated trailer, sleeping on a rusty old mattress on a floor which was soaking wet in a room with black mould and holes in the walls that went through to the outside. It was just so unreal to see.

As well as trying to live in this situation, she was forced to take care of her two younger siblings whilst her mother and step father were nowhere to be seen and both were said to have substance abuse issues.

With all of this going on, the neglect and the responsibility that was forced onto her 12 year old shoulders, Katelyn was driven to depression, despair and harming herself. She had also been given Prozac to help but obviously in that situation plus the fact that Prozac itself has often been the subject of scrutiny for side effects with some people saying they have developed feelings of suicide after taking it, may have added to the struggles especially being a 12 year old and taking that kind of medication.

I watched some of her live streams and I could not believe this girl's life. Her only escape in the trailer was to a bath with a curtain around it where she would film some of her videos. Even then, the younger children would burst in or her mother would come looking for her. She had no privacy. There was a video with her mother shouting and swearing at her with Katelyn begging her to listen to her and acknowledge that she self harmed but it was clear that her mother was uncaring about the situation, it's harrowing to listen too and was filmed a few days before Katelyn's death.

One wonders why people watching these live streams at the time didn't do anything to help. This poor young girl plus her younger siblings were in a horrific situation and being neglected and it was all online for all to see. You have to wonder too that maybe this was Katelyn's way of crying out for help, hoping someone would take her and her siblings out of that hellish situation but help never came.

Watching the live streams and reading some of Katelyn's blog/diary posts was quite harrowing and she also mentioned that her step dad had tried to abuse her and her siblings. All these things were online and nobody stepped in. Katelyn would be so down on herself and felt so unloved and unwanted.

On the 30th December 2016, Katelyn walked outside to her back yard, filming a live stream as she went. She tied a rope to a tree and said a few words. She was crying and apologising (even though it wasn't her place to apologise). She said that she didn't deserve to live, that she was worthless and a whore. All of these things were of course lies but this poor child was pushed too far. She kept apologising and said goodbye before she hung herself. Her body was discovered later.

Katelyn's live stream of her suicide was 45 minutes long and people sat and watched it, did nothing. Nobody picked up the phone to call the police and I'm not going to mention some of the horrific, sick comments that were left on her video.

Since Katelyn's death, police have been trying to have her video deleted on the internet but to no avail, sadly it can still be found online. Her live streams and her diary entries can also be found online. What do I think about this?, I agree with the suicide video being deleted but I think it's important for her other videos and diary posts to stay up. Katelyn deserves her story to be told and people need to see for themselves what this poor child went through. Her mother and step dad should be shamed for what they put those children though and in those horrible conditions.

Nobody has ever been brought to justice over Katelyn's death and as far as I know, nothing has been done about the step dad in regards to the abuse allegations that Katelyn mentioned in her diary.

Katelyn has died and nothing has been done. I read that her mother has moved somewhere else. There are people online who have heard about Katelyn's case and are wanting to see some sort of justice done. There is a group on Facebook called 'Justice for Katelyn Nicole Davis' as well as a 'Justice for Katelyn' Youtube channel.

Various petitions have been set up online too, requesting a proper investigation to be done. It is comforting to see that so many people care and have been touched like I was about this young girl's story.

Katelyn was a beautiful young girl who had a full life in front of her, she deserved to be loved, cared for and looked after properly.

I've never understood people who have children only to treat them in such a horrible way. The day Katelyn felt that she couldn't go on and said goodbye to the world was December 2016 and I've only just found this out recently. people are scared that Katelyn and her story will be forgotten. We owe it to Katelyn to never forget.

Katelyn would have been 14, if she was still alive today and able to live her life as a normal kid in a decent situation with a proper mother and step father. 14 is no age and neither was 12, one wonders what she could have done with her life had she been given the love and chances she deserved.

You can find out a little bit more including the background of Katelyn's story here as well as just a simple google search: Katelyn Nicole Davis. Same with you tube 'Katelyn Nicole Davis'.

I know this post was a harrowing read but I felt like I owed it to Katelyn's memory to write it. She deserves her story to be told and I don't think many people know about it in the UK. Hopefully more people will hear her story and help the fight for there to be a proper investigation.

If you're in the UK and need someone to talk to, please contact Samaritans on 116 123

CALM (nationwide) 0800 58 58 58

Please reach out to someone, your doctor, a friend, a trusted relative. Don't suffer in silence. Be careful who you talk to online and if you see someone who is suffering, reach out to them.

Thank you as always for reading my latest post, I appreciate it. If you would like to chat more about Katelyn's story or have any comments you would like to make, if you don't feel comfortable to leave them below then please direct message me on Twitter or email: caledoniankblog@yahoo.co.uk

Take care of yourself, see you in the next post

Find out why @YesTo_UK are my new obsession

I love it when I try out some products from a brand that I've never tried before and then become hooked on them because the products turn out to be totally awesome, and not only totally awesome for my sensitive skin but are also natural, cruelty free and affordable. They are also suitable for vegans and plastic free!

Step forward my new obsession Yes To

As soon as these products arrived on my doorstep I was like a kid in a candy store, spoilt for choice and not knowing which product to treat myself to first, they all sounded so good. I didn't know what to expect, they sounded too good to be true. I was curious to see what the results would be.

Having never tried this brand before but knowing that Yes To were a beauty blogger favourite, I was excited to get going with the products.

Want to know how I got on? Grab a cuppa and have a gander at the rest of this post.

It's hard to know where to begin because (spoiler) everything just ticked all the boxes for me. I suppose I'll start with the refreshing Yes To Cucumbers Daily Calming Moisturiser

For someone like me who has sensitive, spot prone skin which can be easily irritated with certain products, I was impressed with how soothing and relaxing my skin felt with this. The moisturiser was lovely, silky and absorbed into my skin without leaving an oily residue.

The light cucumber scent is lovely, subtle and not overpowering. It also contains almond oil to help calm and hydrate the skin which it definitely does for me.

As I mentioned before, Yes To are natural, cruelty free, plastic free & suitable for vegans. This divine moisturiser retails at £11.99 for 50ml. (Check individual stockists as prices may vary)

Stockists:

- Look fantastic
- Amazon
- Boots

I'm not going to lie, as soon as I saw "Charcoal" I imagined my bathroom sink looking a a mess and covered in black residue. That's been my experience so far with charcoal products so I was taken aback when I used this fabulous cleanser and there was no black residue or mess. This again was great for my skin and giving my pores a real deep down clean. After using the Yes To Tomatoes Detoxifying Charcoal Cleanser my skin felt great. You get all of the benefits of the charcoal and tomatoes without the mess.

This skin gem is suitable for all skin types. I have sensitive, spot prone skin and it worked a treat for me. This product retails at £8.99. (check individual stockists as prices may vary)

Stockists:

- Look fantastic
- Amazon
- Superdrug

Another gem for perking up the skin when you've had a bit of a late night. I loved the scent and the combination of grapefruit and moringa oil to help balance out the tone of the skin and get rid of the dark circles under my eyes.

The Yes To Grapefruit Uneven Skin Tone Moisturiser retails at £12.99 for 41ml. (check individual stockists as prices may vary).

Stockists:

- Look fantastic

- Amazon

I was intrigued by the Yes To Tomatoes Detoxifying Charcoal 2-In-1 Scrub And Cleanser Stick wondering how it would work on my skin and it was actually quite fun to use. Again, all the benefits of charcoal and tomatoes without the mess. My skin was fully exfoliated, cleansed and all the dead skin cells removed. I wear make-up quite a lot so this was brilliant for getting rid of the dead skin cells and helping unblock my pores. The stick is so practical too, easy for travelling and keeping on the side of your bathroom sink, fuss and mess free.

This skin goody retails at £9.99 for 70g. (check individual stockists as prices may vary)

Stockists:

- Beauty bay

- Asos

- Look fantastic

- Feel unique

With facial wipes it's important to find ones that are going to take care of all your needs, removing your make-up, the waterproof mascara etc but also that don't irritate your skin with some skin goodies thrown in. You want something that's going to remove all of the makeup but be gentle on your skin at the same time.

My new favourite facial wipes are the Yes To Tomatoes Blemish Clearing Facial Wipes because they are gentle on my skin and remove the make-up easily without me having to rub hard or scrub the skin. They also help clear blemishes and really clean your skin whereas some facial wipes just take off the top layer of make-up and leave all the blocked pores.

I've noticed since using the wipes that I haven't had any flare ups of blemishes. The pack is perfect to keep in your bag and the seal is great, handy and helps keep the wipes really moist.

These lovely scented facial wipes retail at £3.99, are suitable for combination and blemish prone skin. Each pack also contains 30 wipes. (check individual stockists as prices may vary)

Stockists:

- Boots

- Look fantastic

- Amazon

- Asos

This overnight face mask was fabulous! I know what you're thinking ''charcoal and pillow cases'' do not mix but, you'd be as surprised as I was to find that this gorgeous mask went on my skin fuss free and felt so good on the skin, very comfortable.

The skin benefits of charcoal and tomatoes combined get to work on your skin as you sleep. You wake up in the morning, rinse off and your skin looks and feels fabulous. No mess on the pillows.

Can you believe this amazing Yes To Tomatoes Detoxifying Charcoal Sleeping Mask is only £2.99 (1 single mask use) and is suitable for all skin types. (check individual stockists as prices may vary)

Stockists:

- Holland & Barrett

- Amazon

- Boots

I loved the Yes To Coconuts Energising Coffee Super Eye Mask it's fantastic for waking up your eyes and reducing puffiness first thing in the morning.

The combination of coffee and coconut is divine with the coconut giving hydration and the coffee giving an energising boost to the tired skin and to help combat the puffiness.

The mask is also made from 100% natural cotton. It's a bargain at £2.99 (1 single use) and is suitable for dry skin. (check individual stockists as prices may vary)

Stockists:

- Beauty bay

- Asos

- Look fantastic

- Feel unique

So, there's my thoughts on Yes To I'm looking forward to trying more of their products now that they've become one of my favourite skincare brands.

Have you tried any of their products, which is your favourite? Leave a comment below or tweet me: @CaledonianTweet

To find out more about the fabulous range of products that Yes To have to offer, check them out on their:

Website | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook

As always, thank you for checking out my latest post, see you in the next one x