Last Saturday, celebrities flocked to Old Trafford cricket ground for a glam evening with Dragons' Den star Steve Bartlett. Sam, the founder of Isoclean and his team, delivered a 5 Star event, and Steven Bartlett did not disappoint.
Manchester entrepreneur Steven, The Diary of a CEO podcaster, and the youngest Dragon on BBC’s Dragons' Den, teamed up with makeup tools cleaning brand Isoclean for a networking dinner with leading minds across the beauty and cosmetics industries, leading brand owners, global retail giants and Kate McIver Skincare was among the Glitterati.
Our guests on the night included Seema Malhotra, Real Housewife of Cheshire and founder of clothing brand Forever Unique, Olivia founder of The Sleepover Club, Steph and Charlotte, founders of Say it with Diamonds, Khatra Director of KP Aesthetics, our winner Harriett budding MUA, and special guest Sarah Graham who is 26 and currently going through Chemotherapy.
It was an excellent opportunity to meet with influencers and celebrities who have shared about Kate and our products for many years and celebrate with leading industry brands.
Kimberley Hart Simpson, Coronation Street actress, shared in 2021, "I was instantly converted!" Kimberly also shared the importance of checking yourself and our charity partner Coppafeelpeople.
We met up with Love Island 2021 contestant Sharon Gaffk; she shared about her cancer scare, which struck when her mum received treatment for the disease. The time and interest Sharon showed in Sarah and Kate's story was so genuine.
When our social media support on the evening, Ava, a budding young MUA, saw James Malloy, leading MUA and founder of MyKitCo, sitting next to our table, she ensured we connected, showing James her own MyKitCo, and he was delighted by her sharing.
There were Makeup artists on mass and so many who use Kate’s Secret Weapon Serum to prep their clients, a few being -
Liverpool’s Top MUA, Kate Hayes, has always shared and loved Kate’s Secret Weapon Serum. Adam Blends, a current contestant on the TV program ‘Glow Up’ has prepped his clients for some time with the Secret Weapon Serum. He was as lovely in person as he is on Instagram.
‘What’s the TeeKeeKee’ stole the show in their new blonde wig!! They have been part of sharing about Kate McIver Skincare for years and taken part in all Breast Cancer Awareness Campaigns with his partner Bobby aka ‘Don’t Mess with Denise’. ‘Glow by Caitlin’ enjoyed her night and goody bag with her favourite Secret Weapon.
We met fashion model Taylor Mullings who also shared she is a long term customer and lover of the Secret Weapon Serum, and made new friends with Tik Toker @geeportogallo and Instagrammer @LucyLedgeway, who were friends with our Winner Harriett.
Since Saturday's event, the Winner on the night Paige Louise, 26, founder of her brand, P Louise, continued to share her support for Kate McIver Skin to her 350k audience!
So many opportunities for all who attended and so much to look forward to for Kate McIver Skin.
Finally, Steven spent so much time with our guests, and his story from struggle to success inspired them.
Hello! My name is Natalie, I was diagnosed with advanced, inoperable cancer in my bowel when I was 36. It had spread beyond the bowel; two huge tumours were growing into most of the organs in my pelvis and one of the tumours was growing into my spine, making my cancer not viable for surgery.
Prior to my diagnosis I was very fit, looked after myself, ate well. I trained as a dancer, worked as a dancer and was then a teacher. I just did not expect to hear the words “you have cancer”.
I was really poorly by the time I was diagnosed and was being admitted to hospital a lot due to the pain of where the tumour was growing into my spine. It got to a point where my bowel had stopped working and I couldn’t go to the toilet or eat and so I was booked in for urgent stoma surgery which is where they basically ‘defunction’ your bottom and bring part of your intestine outside of your body and attach it to the skin on the outside of your abdomen. You then have to stick a bag to your tummy to collect your bodily waste. I was so devastated about this but I was also so poorly I just wanted to try to get better.
Following the stoma surgery I then went through an aggressive course of chemo and radiation and then more chemo to try get these massive tumours to a point they were operable. The tumours responded really well but sadly my cancer started growing back not long after the first lot of treatment finished and so I was then referred to the complex cancer team at St Marks, a specialist bowel hospital. By this time we were about to head into a global pandemic.
What followed I didn’t even know was possible and couldn’t ever have imagined or predicted.
I was told I had to have surgery to remove everything that the tumours were growing into plus a bit more to get ‘clear margins’ to try to decrease my chances of it growing back yet again. They needed to take out basically everything in my pelvis apart from my bladder. I also had to start a second line of chemo because all major cancer surgery had been stopped due to covid. In fact I had to wait 6 months for my surgery. If I hadn’t had chemo I honestly think the cancer would have grown too much and I would have been too far gone for the surgery.
On 10th August 2020 I headed to hospital alone for a 12 hour Pelvic Exenteration surgery that would change my life forever but would also save my life. Without it I think my prognosis was around 9-12 months.
They cut me from belly button to pubic bone, then underneath from vagina through the perineum to the anus. They removed my ovaries, fallopian tubes, womb, cervix, vagina, rectum, anus, part of my spine, my left piriformis muscle, they scraped out the bone of my left pelvic sidewall and also had to remove cancer that had spread to my left ureter (the tube that connects the left kidney to the bladder) and then reimplant the remaining ureter into the bladder. I spent the next month in hospital with none of my loved ones allowed to visit, followed by 6 months in and out of hospital with complications.
The aftermath of all of this is that I had to learn to walk again, I can’t have my own child, I can’t sit for long, I can’t do some of the things I used to (though I’m doing more than expected!! I will not give in!) I live with chronic pain, I had to learn to self catheterise to release my urine as my bladder was a bit damaged from where they had to cut it, I also have a stoma for the rest of my life, however long that may be.
But I am alive.
20 months on from surgery and I am alive and I’m currently having scans that show No Evidence of Disease (which is pretty good for a stage 4 patient!) and I am learning to love myself and my life in this new form. It’s not always easy, but it is life and it is still beautiful.
From the very first lot of chemo back in 2019 a cancer friend introduced me to Kate McIver Skincare because chemo really messed with my skin and literally EVERYTHING I used on it made it more sore and inflamed. The serum and cleanser helped soothe, calm and moisture my skin so much and I have used it ever since.
People might think after hearing about my surgery that my skin must the least of my worries but, I read that Kate herself said something like, why shouldn’t we look after ourselves and want to feel as good as possible whilst we go through all this treatment that is so hard on our bodies?! And I couldn’t agree more! I love to look after myself after everything my body has been through, I feel like my body deserves it! I am now heading towards the age of 40 (an age I never thought I’d reach!) and honestly, my skin hasn’t been this good for years. I will be forever grateful I found Kate McIver skincare.
Julia Bradbury mentioned how much she loved our Secret Weapon Original Serum in an Instagram Post last week. This is what she said:
“My search for clean beauty products continues. I really like this @katemciverskin serum & it's brilliant that the brand goes from strength to strength. Sadly Kate left us 3 years ago after her Breast Cancer returned but I know her team think of her every day & are proud of the range.
There are so many everyday toxins we can't do anything about, or very little anyway, like pollution, but we can control what we put on our faces & bodies. what we wash our clothes with, what we clean our bathrooms with etc.”
We are so glad that Julia loves our Secret Weapon Original Serum.
We recently sent a survey out to 61 responders and we got some amazing feedback about our Original Serum...
Each year #TeamBoobs sets out on a challenging, extraordinary and life-changing trek, all in the name of checking chests! Together with Giovanna Fletcher and her celebrity team captains, Coppafeel's fa-boob-ulous community of trekkers cover approximately 100km, chat boobs AND raise hundreds of thousands of pounds towards their life-saving mission.
Kate McIver Skin has been donating to CoppaFeel from each sale of the Secret Weapon Original Serum for three years now. We are very proud to be Official Charity Partners.
From Chris:
"Three years have already passed since we lost Kate. I don't think I will ever get my head around or come to terms with losing someone so young and full of life. You never expect somebody so young, fit and healthy to be diagnosed with breast cancer.
As a lot of you will know, Kate was a huge supporter and very passionate about Coppafeel's message of creating awareness of breast cancer amongst young people, in the hope of early diagnosis to improve survival rates. Kate was extremely open and honest during her journey for the cause, which resulted in several ladies reaching out to Kate after taking inspiration and finding their own breast cancer early. Knowing she had helped people and potentially improved their survival chances meant everything to Kate.
I feel so honoured and privileged to have the opportunity to support this charity by taking part in this year’s CoppaTrek, by trekking 100km through the Sahara Desert with 100 incredible people. It has been a really difficult personal decision to make over the last couple of weeks, but the opportunity of contributing to a mission Kate was so passionate about and further supporting the vital work Coppafeel do could not be turned down!
I would be so grateful and appreciative of any donation you're able to make for my CoppaTrek in these uncertain times, every little bit really does help spread awareness of Coppafeel's life-saving message!
From the bottom of my heart, thank you. Chris."
On Friday night, we had the pleasure of going to the Make2ndsCount Gala in Edinburgh, Scotland.
The Annual Make 2nds Count Gala Ball took place on the beautiful grounds of Prestonfield House; Laura Boyd hosted their second Ball since starting the charity. The evening brought terrific people together for a night filled with fine dining, live entertainment, and fantastic auction prizes, which raised as much money as needed for incurable secondary breast cancer research.
We always support Make2ndsCount in everything they do, as they supported Kate through her secondary diagnosis and we were so privileged that we had the opportunity to attend.
The prize that we organised for the Silent Auction alone raised £1300, which will be put to great use this April when all the ladies who have Secondary Breast Cancer who modelled in the October #fightingtobeheard Secondary Breast Campaign for Make 2nds Count kicks off in Manchester with a National Outdoor Campaign.
Thank you to Michael O'Brien of Monday Hospitality Group for organising the donated prize onboard the exquisite Sunborn Yacht
The total raised from the entire event was £90,000!
We thought we would share with you some fantastic pictures from the night.
Lisa Fleming, founder of Make 2nds Count with Secondary Breast Cancer patients and dear friends.
The Gatsby Themed Gala Ball was something the Charity organised in house. Lisa and her team did a formidable job of transporting us all back to the roaring 20's.
International Women’s Day (IWD) has been celebrated since 1911, It is a global holiday celebrated all over the world on the 8th of March, to commemorate the cultural, political, and socioeconomic achievements of women.
“The most important thing one woman can do for another is expand her sense of actual possibilities” – Adrienne Rich
Today is all about inspiring & celebrating each other.
This message is to all of you gorgeous women reading: You are beautiful, brave, smart, funny, loveable, kind and so much more. You are enough and always will be.
We celebrate our Kate every day, and on International Women’s Day, we think of the inspiration her strength and achievements have had on so many women. Kate’s legacy and her businesses achievements provide hope to young women on the same journey. Kate never allowed her illness to stop her, a true inspiration to all.
It is important that on this day we reflect on how far we have come in our life and as a woman, we remind ourselves that there is no limit to what we can accomplish. As Serena Williams said, “Every one of our successes should be an inspiration to others, we are strongest when we cheer each other on.”
This is what we continue to stand by, so… Here’s to strong women- may we know them, may we be them, may we raise them.
To celebrate our Kate on IWD, we are going live with the C List tonight at 6.30pm! The C List is a passion project of Helen Addis who is a cancer survivor, a beauty jiver, a TV producer and most importantly a mum.
When diagnosed with an aggressive breast cancer in 2018 Helen (@thetittygritty) was told to only use super mild and less fragranced beauty products during and after treatment. From mascara to sun cream, moisturiser to shampoo, Helen had to rethink her entire bathroom cabinet. The shopping experience was far from easy. As Helen found that some brands didn’t label their products as being cancer friendly.
Helen discussed this on Instagram with her good friend and leading beauty industry expert- Lisa Potter (@LisaPotterDixon) It had an overwhelming response from fellow cancer patients who felt the same. From this, The C-List was created by two friends. It is the ultimate guide to beauty products you can use when you’re going through treatment for cancer and beyond. It is your one-stop beauty shop covering everything from the essentials like deodorant to feel good fake tan.
In our special IWD live where we will be talking all things skincare, Kates’s legacy and why our Secret Weapon Original is loved so much.
Kate’s first product she launched was the Secret Weapon Original Serum - Kate wanted to develop a serum to diminish the effects of her treatment, darkness, skin-ageing, lack of radiance, bringing back a glow, firmer skin and to reduce the appearance of fine lines.
To celebrate Kate’s legacy today, we are offering 20% off the Original Serum when you use code: IWD
Oa from Little Lifts UK
Little Lifts UK are a Charity Organisation supporting people with Breast Cancer. Every year approximately 55,000 women are diagnosed with Breast Cancer which makes it the most common cancer in the UK. There are 36,000 women currently living with Secondary (incurable) Breast Cancer. Around 360 men are diagnosed with Breast Cancer A Year.
Little Lifts UK are a Norfolk- Based Charity which are on a mission to support patients by offering a ‘Little Lift’ box at the beginning of their chemotherapy/radiotherapy treatment. The charity does this by working directly with hospitals in East Anglia, where boxes are given out to patients during treatment planning or review meetings with their Oncology, Radiotherapy or Breast Care Teams.
Little Lifts was founded by Oa Hackett from Norfolk in November 2017. Oa went through six rounds of chemotherapy for Primary Breast Cancer from September 2014 to January 2015. Oa created the idea of boxes which can help patients with their physical and emotional well-being in this time and this led to the beginning of Little Lifts boxes- the care packages offer 25 products ranging from sleep masks to chocolate and skincare. You can see more of the content of the boxes or purchase a Little Lifts box here.
Make 2nds Count are a charity which Kate McIver Skin actively support. Lisa Fleming founder of Make 2nds Count and Karen Henderson were “Breasties”, and Karen loved it when she received her Little Lifts box. Unfortunately, Karen passed away last year, and a legacy fund was established with Make 2nds Count and it was their wish to fund Little Lifts boxes in her memory with two extra special treats. One of them being a 15ml Kate McIver Original Serum which Karen loved so much.
We are so pleased that people all around the UK will be using our amazing Secret Weapon Serum and we are so honoured that we were asked to be a part of such an amazing care package which offers support for Breast Cancer patients physical and emotional well-being.
You can apply here through Make2ndsCount for your Little Lifts box or for someone you know going through treatment here.
Self-care: why it matters and how you can create space for it
By Suzy Reading
When you hear the term ‘self-care’, what comes to mind for you? It’s a phrase that is bandied about often, we have an awareness of its importance, but still for many of us it feels sticky, it rankles us, it feels hard, yet another burden, or it’s just plain out of reach. As a psychologist, yoga teacher and personal trainer, there’s no surprise that I’m passionate about empowering people with the tools of self-care, but let me be honest with you, more than my qualifications, it was my own experience of energetic bankruptcy that set me on this path. Everything I’ve learnt, I’ve learnt the hard way, let me share some of those life-changing lessons with you.
I became a mum at the same time as losing my dad to a drawn-out battle with what was posthumously diagnosed as a rare variant of motor neurone disease. In the desire to give every cell and fibre to my baby, to be there for my mum and dad, self-care got squeezed out of daily life – I just didn’t have the time, energy, space or freedom for my old pre-motherhood nourishing practices. I needed a whole new soothing toolkit. In partnership with my therapist – and that’s an important factor – our healing journey is not just about self-care, we all need to receive care and support too, it's not about doing it all on your own. Together with my therapist we looked at how I could reclaim some of my old daily rituals (my dynamic yoga practice became rolling out my yoga mat and having a sleep on it, and I did that for months) and new skills I could add to my toolkit.
Little by little my energy was restored, and my frazzled nervous system healed. I clawed my way out of the depletion that is similar to how so many of us are feeling now, ‘post’ pandemic. If you’re feeling bone-tired, completely full up, I hear you, I see you. Of course you feel as you do. There are things that you can do, things that take little time, energy or investment of funds, things that will make a difference.
Before we dive into practical tips, let’s do a little myth busting. Often it is our perception that creates a barrier to us taking time for ourselves.
We know what self-care is for, but how do we do it? I think it is fair to say that we all know what we need as individuals to feel healthy and energetic, but it is another thing to make it happen. Welcome to being human. That’s why I created my new journal ‘And Breathe’ – designed to help you get clear on the nourishment you need and empowering you with the tools to make time and space for it in everyday life. I’d love to share a few prompts from ‘And Breathe’ to help you dot your day with the healthy habits of your choosing:
To build your own bespoke self-care toolkit, ‘And Breathe’ will gently guide you, helping you find your own clarity and removing the obstacles. It is an honour to walk the path with you and I hope you enjoy seeing the dividends from your nourishing choices ripple out well beyond you.
Much love,
Suz x
Suzy is a mother of two, an author, Chartered Psychologist and Coach. She specialises in self-care, helping people manage their stress, emotions, and energetic bank balance. It was her life experience of motherhood colliding with the terminal illness of her father that sparked her passion for self-care which she now teaches to her clients, young and old, to cope during periods of stress, loss and change and to boost their resilience in the face of future challenges. Suzy is the Psychology Expert for wellbeing brand Neom Organics and is a founding member of the ‘Nourish’ app. She figure-skated her way through her childhood, growing up on the Northern Beaches of Sydney, and now makes her home in the hills of Hertfordshire, UK. Her first book ‘The Self-Care Revolution’ published by Aster came out in 2017, 'Stand Tall Like a Mountain: Mindfulness & Self-Care for Children and Parents' and 'The Little Book of Self-Care’ came out in 2019. ‘Self-Care for Tough Times’ and her first children’s book ‘This Book Will (Help) Make You Happy’ were published in 2021. Her first journal And Breathe is hot off the press and Sit to Get Fit is available for pre-order now.
Join Suzy’s Wellbeing Community at:
Instagram: www.instagram.com/suzyreading/
Facebook: www.facebook.com/SuzyReadingPsychologyAndYoga/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SuzyReading
One of our good friends is Abby Younis Stewart from Women Conquering Cancer...
Abby Younis Stewart is a 'Founder, Campaigner and A Double Cancer Warrior.' Abby is fundraising for the first Mona Lisa Laser Machine for the NHS which will be based in the Liverpool Womens Hospital. Abby tells us in this blog all about her campaign...
'Since I started my campaign in September 2021, support has grown. We have now raised circa £30k of the £50k required to purchase the Mona Lisa Laser.
The Mona Lisa Laser treats urogenital problems many women suffer as a result of menopause.
This has been a Cinderella campaign, as it is not going to save the planet or even save a life and it relates to women…always at the bottom of even our own priority list.
This campaign is not about me but about me paying back. It has the ability to do is change the lives of thousands of women across the North West and eventually the rest of the country. In the same that IVF was only available privately when it first came on the scene but later was provided on the NHS. I would like the same for this treatment and I want Liverpool to lead the way.
I though I am campaigning from a cancer perspective as this is my story this treatment will be beneficial to both women who go through natural menopause and those who have been forced into surgical menopause.
I am holding a Bollywood Fundraiser on 26th March and there will be lots of influential ladies attending to raise awareness. The Lord Mayor of Liverpool Mary Rasmussen will be in attendance as will the press. I want us women of Liverpool to stand together and make history.
Further details about me on my just giving page where you can also donate to this cause:
https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/abbyyounis-womenconqueringcancer
Thank you for your support xxx"
Abby has had support from celebrities such as Davina McCall who is backing her campaign and Abby has currently raised 38%...
How Your Skin Can Be Affected through Menopause and How Our Products Can Help
Hot flushes, mood swings and insomnia are symptoms which are widely talked about when it comes to “going through the change.” If you’re perimenopause or post menopause, you may notice other changes which cause your skin to become dry, thin, and slack. Your body stops making as much collagen, you lose some fat under your skin and your skin elasticity drops. Like us, you may feel like this change has happened overnight.
A lot of the time, skincare products which were relied on in our younger years may not be effective anymore when going through these hormonal changes- therefore it is essential that we change up our skincare routine to adjust with our skin symptoms.
We get a lot of messages and e-mails coming through from women who have had an oily or normal skin type throughout their life and now it is extremely dry. We find that they are struggling to adjust to this and are unsure what products are best. So, we want to share with you our suggestions from our collection in which we believe will tackle the dryness, elasticity, and plumpness.
So, these are suggestions from our collection in which we believe will tackle the dryness, lack of elasticity and plumpness…
Dry and itchy skin is something which many women may face when it comes to the menopause, we know that our Original Serum will be able to save your skin.
Our award-winning Original Serum is a double serum that supports dehydrated, sensitive skin. When massaged into the skin, the serum works its “magic” on the epidermis, supporting cell rejuvenation. This serum contains 11 natural ingredients including: Amaranthus Caudatus Seed Oil which improves elasticity and increases moisture- which is vital for ensuring we are repairing our skin and preventing ageing.
The Original Serum also include Jojoba Oil- this helps to regulate sebum products, soothes, and moisturises your skin without clogging your products.
In early postmenopausal women, skin elasticity can decrease by 1.5% per year.
Kakadu Plum ingredient has been clinically proven to after 1 Month:
After 24 hours:
- Increases Antioxidant activity by 79%
- Boosts New Collagen Synthesis by 144%
- Stimulates Vitamin C by 106%
After 15 days:
- Skin radiance enhancement +21%
After 30 days:
- Skin radiance enhancement +30%
- 100% of the subjects demonstrated a positive effect
How to help your skin back to what it was? Use Both
Our Skincare moisture duo! Our skincare moisture duo includes both the Hyaluronic Kakadu Plum Serum and the Secret Weapon Original Serum which we believe is the “Menopause Duo” and by using both products you will be tackling all your skin symptoms. Using both products, you can take your skin back to its youth- these products will restore radiance which will be vital in repairing menopausal skin and ensuring that skin is less dull, tired, and dehydrated.
Lisa Snowdon- Mid-Week Menopause Madness
Perimenopause and Menopause can be such a challenging time for women- you may feel isolated and scared and you may feel like you are not getting enough information from your GP about exactly what the menopause is and the wide range of symptoms which come with it.
Every Wednesday, we tune into Lisa Snowdon & Dr. Naomi Potter’s Instagram Live series all about the menopause. The series varies from Symptoms of the menopause and perimenopause to treatment which are available and to a low down on HRT. You can ask all of your personal questions and treat the live as a safe space where women come together to share their menopause journey.
Tune in in every Wednesday on Lisa Snowdon’s (@lisa_snowdon) Instagram @ 6pm where her and Dr. Naomi Potter (@drmenopausecare) talk all things menopause!
If you want to catch up on ‘Mid-Week Menopause Madness’ You can head over to the Menopause Care Website by clicking the link below.
