Maternity Fashion Wishlist

Well, think it's finally time I get myself some proper maternity clothes. I'm living in leggings at the moment as my jeans all dig in and are far too uncomfortable. I'm thinking if I buy myself a good couple of pairs of maternity jeans they'll last me through the winter until baby arrives in late Feb. I didn't have this problem last time as I was pregnant during the summer, so I just lived in floaty dresses and elasticated waist shorts. Anyway, I've had a little browse of the web to see what I could find...

Maternity Dark Blue Mottled Denim Jeggings - £24.99 - New Look

2 in 1 Maternity/Nursing Wrap Tunic (raspberry) - £9.99 - ebay

Maternity Asymmetric Neck Tunic (beige) - £9.99 - ebay

Maternity Polka Dot Top - £10 - George at Asda

ASOS Maternity Swing Dress with Stripe Sheer Sleeve - £30 - ASOS

Maternity Dark Grey Leigh Jeans - £38 - Topshop

I'll probably do a Christmas edition next, for party dress ideas etc, as I'll be pretty much a whale by then! ha!

 
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nspa Melting Cleansing Gel

nspa Melting Cleansing Gel. £6

'nspa' is a brand I haven't had much to do with in the past. I've had a couple of bath products as gifts but that's as far as I've gone. They're an affordable brand made specifically for Asda, which includes skincare and bath/body products. After my sample sized Clarins Melting Cleansing Gel ran out, I wanted to find an affordable alternative, as I really liked the whole melting-gel thing! I just happened to notice the nspa Melting Cleansing Gel as I was shopping in Asda, and for £6 for 125ml of product I thought it was well worth a try.

The product itself comes out a thick gel, which you work into dry skin to remove your makeup. Once you add water, the gel emulsifies into a cleansing milk, which nourishes the skin and helps remove those final traces of makeup. I don't get much of a scent from the gel, which I like, as over-scented face products make me slightly nervous. I'd say this product does a pretty good job at removing most makeup, but for waterproof mascara I like to go in with my eye-makeup remover beforehand. I remove the product with a warm flannel / muslin cloth, as I like to feel as though I'm really removing every last trace, whilst slightly exfoliating the skin at the same time. My skin feels soft and smooth after use, and I haven't experienced any drying or breakouts since using it. All in all it's a thumbs up from me and I'm happy knowing that it's an affordable alternative to the other expensive gel cleansers out there.

Have you tried any skincare from nspa?

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Soap & Glory 'The Birthday Box'

Soap & Glory The Birthday Box Gift Set. £16

Soap & Glory has to be my all time favourite brand for bath time products (and they're doing pretty well on the makeup and skincare front as well to be fair). There isn't a product of theirs that I don't like. I love everything about the brand; the packaging, the quirky names and the amazing smells and formulas. Every Christmas I usually manage to get my grubby little mitts on the big special offer gift set that Boots do for half price. I have a bit of a backlog of products now but I just love getting more and adding to my collection ha!

My wonderful in-laws were kind enough to get me 'The Birthday Box' for my Birthday last month (she knows me so well, lol) and I was over the moon to discover this box includes my all time FAVOURITE S&G product - The Righteous Butter.

Soap & Glory's The Birthday Box, contains the 3 basic products you would need for a lovely relaxing pamper; Clean on Me Creamy Clarifying Shower Gel, a Super Suds Making Shower Puff and The Righteous Butter Body Butter. I think this is an amazing gift for the price (£16), as if they were bought seperately, these products would cost £20. It's the perfect gift for Soap & Glory newbies who aren't familiar with the brand, but also for lovers like me. What I'm saying is that it's a great gift for anyone who likes to wash lol!!

Do you like Soap & Glory as a brand?

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Rimmel Lasting Finish by Kate Moss Matte Lipstick 107

Rimmel Lasting Finish Kate Matte Lipstick. £5.49

It's official! Autumn is here, I'm currently sat on my sofa with my laptop, blanket and slippers on (waiting for my Hubby to make me a nice cuppa tea). Brrrrr. What better way to mark the occasion by writing about the blogger's favourite Autumn/Winter matte lippie? I grabbed it this Summer ready for the colder months. What's not to like about a lipstick with your own name on? I missed out on this last year, as I had a thing about matte lipsticks and had it in my head that they would be too drying on my already quite dry lips. Since overcoming my matte-fears during the summer, I thought I'd treat myself and get this badboy!

Rimmel & Kate Moss added a selection of 5 matte lipsticks to their collection back in 2012, and this is definitely the most A/W friendly out of the bunch. It's a beautiful deep berry/red wine shade, which I suspect will look lovely on most skin tones. I have to be honest, I'm a bit of a scaredy-cat when it comes to dark lipstick, and I tend to stick to nudes and pinks, so wearing this is a big step for me (it doesn't help that the first time I tried it on, Martin asked me what the ridiculous lipstick I was wearing was and why it made me look like I'd been sucking on a cherry ice pop) sigh! MEN! I'm sure the more I wear it, the more he will get used to it lol. For a matte lipstick, the formula is so creamy and is so intensely pigmented. The lasting power is amazing and I can now see why the blogging world went crazy for these lippies!

Do you own this lipstick? What's your staple A/W lip?

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Rimmel Velvet Matte Nail Polish in Sumptuous Red

Rimmel Velvet Matte Nail Polish. £4.49

Rimmel's Salon Pro nail polishes have got to be my favourite on the highstreet. The formulas are always amazing, and they have a flat, fat brush which makes application that extra bit easier. So when I seen that Rimmel had brought out 'Velvet Matte' formulas in the same style bottle as the Salon Pros, my eyes were immediately drawn. I figured they must just be matte versions of the amazing formulas. They've brought 5 shades out to begin with, but when I was in Superdrug they only had 2 out of the 5, and I wasn't really a massive fan of the other one (Purple Opulence). I've never really had much experience with matte polishes, as I've always loved that salon shine of freshly painted nails, but nevertheless I was excited to give something different a go.

Sumptuous Red is a very vampy, deep burgundy-purple hybrid, aka the perfect autumn/winter shade. The formula is definitely different to the Salon Pros. I found this a lot trickier to apply. It dries very quickly so you've gotta be quick, and if you're not really careful, it will show every little brush stroke, I'd say it needs 3 coats for complete opacity, but acceptable with 2 coats. All in all, I think I do like the finish of this, and will a little bit of practice they'll look even better. I'll probs try the grey in the collection if I can get my hands on it.

Have you tried these yet?

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17 Week Pregnancy Update

Hey lovelies. So I've been umming and ahhing about whether or not I should start writing pregnancy/parenting related posts over on this here blog, as it's always been predominantly beauty related. However, I thought what the heck, this is my blog and I should write about what is going on in my life aswell, and this pregnancy (as well as looking after George) will be pretty much the focal point of my life for the next 5/6 months, so sharing it with you seems the right thing to do. Hopefully it's interesting and I don't lose any of my lovely followers in doing so! 

How I've Been Feeling

So as I'm sure you're aware by now, I'm currently 17 weeks pregnant with my 2nd baby. I'll start with telling you how I've been feeling. Up until around 14 weeks, I felt very queasy and groggy pretty much every single day, something I never had last time. I was never actually sick, but I just felt awful all day every day which meant I didn't really feel like doing much at all. I don't know if it means I'll be having a girl this time, or if it's because this time around I have a toddler to look after and chase. The midwife did tell me I have low blood pressure, which is probably the main reason I've felt so tired. Anyway, now I'm 17 weeks I'm really starting to feel like I've got some of my energy back. My boobs are no longer sore and uncomfortable which is an absolute brucey bonus! The only problem I have now are headaches, which I did suffer with last time (y'know the ones that you go to bed early with and they follow you through the night? - yes THEM). I've just recently bought that '4head' stuff which I find helps when I feel like I have a niggle coming on. 

Cravings/food aversions?

I don't think so yet. The only food issue is that I feel full pretty much straight away when I start a meal, meaning hubby has to play the role of human dustbin, but than an hour or so later I'm foraging in the kitchen cupboards for snacks. Nightmare! lol.

Bump

Ohhhh I honestly feel like a whale already! Last time I didn't start showing properly until around 18 weeks, but this time I was literally trying to hide it from people at 8/9 weeks. They do say that you show a lot sooner in subsequent pregnancies - & they ain't wrong! None of my jeans fit me now, which means I'm living in leggings and big comfy tops. With autumn approaching, I think I'll be fine clothes-wise, as I can just pair a big cosy jumper with a pair of leggings and some nice comfy boots and I'll be sorted. I went to see the midwife last week for my 16week appointment and she said I'm measuring correctly so that's reassuring. I've started on the bio oil now, as I don't want those pesky stretch marks to make an appearance.

Baby

So according to baby centre, my baby is currently around 5inches long and weighs about 5ounces (the size of a turnip). Apparently the next couple of weeks are gonna be big for baby, as he/she is gonna double in size, ahhhh! One huuuge milestone this week is that I've most definitely felt some movement, which is so exciting. At the moment it feels like a tapping sensation down in my lower tummy. It's so cute. Hubby is really keen to feel the baby kick, but I think it will be a good few weeks until it can be felt from the outside. Exciting times.

Next Appointment

My 20 week scan - 17th October. I'm not finding out the sex though, as we like the surprise.

How are we all feeling? Any other fellow bloggers pregnant at the moment? xx

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Hydraluron Moisture Jelly

Indeed Labs Hydraluron Moisture Jelly, £24.99

So, after reading about the original Hydraluron Serum on pretty much every blog that's ever been written, I  did always wonder what all of the fuss was about. Don't ask me why I didn't buy it, it's probably because of the price. Anyway, when I was browsing the aisles of Boots one day, I noticed they had launched a moisturiser in the same range and it had a 1/3 off. Bonus! I probably should have gone for the serum first, as I'd every single review I'd read was pretty much a raving one, but noo off I went with the moisturiser (I'm a sucker for a brand new product). 

Indeed Labs Hydraluron Moisure Jelly is a daily moisturiser formulated for all skin types. It contains 5 scientifically proven ingredients to help provide instant moisture to the skin, whilst sustaining the moisture and keeping skin soft and supple. I have to say, I was completely sucked in by the overall packaging of this product. Some might call it gimmicky, but I call it legend lol. The pot isn't your typical boring pot of moisturiser that you need to dip your mitts into, it contains a pump that dispenses the perfect amount of product for one use. Nice and hygienic, although I can''t help but think I might get robbed of one last use when it comes to the very end. The consistency is exactly how it's described, like a thick jelly. Sigh. It's a funny one this one, as the formula makes me want to hate it, but the results tell me differently. What I don't like about the formula is the tacky feeling it leaves on my skin, and I'll be honest, I don't particularly enjoy applying it as I don't really feel as if I've used a moisturiser, it feels as though I still need to add that step afterwards. However, once left to do it's business, this product really does do what it claims. My skin feels soft, supple and I have absolutely zero dry patches on my skin. I only use it on a morning as I just need to use a richer moisturiser on a night time. I find my makeup applies like a dream when I've used this, which is a tell-tale sign that this is one very good moisturiser. 

Would I repurchase? I want to say yes, as I love the results it gives, but at the same time, I find it quite pricey and not sure I can condone spending that much on something I use daily when I've got a baby on the way and lots to save up for (the hubby might just go a little mad). I think I will probably get this now and again as a little treat, and I'm safe in the knowledge that I can always go back to this if my skin is freaking out. 

Have you tried anything from the Hydraluron range?

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Pixi Glow Tonic

Pixi Glow Tonic. £16

Ahhhh Pixi Glow Tonic! You've heard of it, yes? The ever so famous 'exfoliating' toner that has been raved about ever since Caroline Hirons dedicated a blog post to it. I used to think toners were a wasteful, pointless part of my skincare routine, and for a long time I didn't even use one. However, the more I got into blogging and reading about other skincare routines, the more I learnt about the benefits of using a toner inbetween cleansing and moisturising. So off I went, trying and testing different toners and my skin definitely improved, which is why I finally decided it was time to try the big boy and see what all of the fuss was about. 

Pixi Glow Tonic is an oil and alcohol free toner, which contains 5% glycolic acid (hence the exfoliating properties). Pixi say it helps to tone, firm and tighten the skin, whilst removing dead skin cells to reveal healthier looking skin. It's gentle enough to use daily, unlike other, even more expensive exfoliating toners (Clarins, I'm looking at you). Not gonna lie, I absolutely LOVE this toner. It's honestly like no other skincare product I've ever tried. I use it both morning and night, needing only the tiniest bit on a cotton pad. I've been using it for a good 2 months now and I haven't used anywhere near a quarter of it yet. I've noticed a massive difference in the overall texture and appearance of my skin since using this. I very rarely get blemishes anymore, and if I do they don't stick around for any longer than a day. Don't know how I coped without this product in my life as I can't imagine not using it now. The only downfall is that it's a bit of a nightmare to get hold of (unless you live in London of course). It's only sold in the Pixi Store in London and on their own website, which is quite often sold out. I'm hoping they branch out and get it on some other online stores soon (preferably with free delivery, lol). 

Have you tried this beautiful product? If not, you should!

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Soigné Macaron Nail Polish Collection

L to R - Pistache, Lavande, Caramel, Fruit De La Passion & Petale De Rose.

So I refuse to believe the Summer is over. I reckon (hoping) we have another few weeks of good weather ahead of us, so I thought I'd share this beautiful summery nail polish collection from Soginé Botanique, that I was lucky enough to win in a Facebook competition during the Summer.

Soigné are pretty new on the nails scene, but have quickly made themselves well known for their beautiful, classy packaging and their signature bottle shape. Their website isn't even up and running yet, but they are already being well talked about. This is the 'Macaron' Collection, one of their sets, which includes 5 beautiful summery pastel shades.

The formula of these nail polishes is so dreamy. The brush is a nice size, they apply beautifully & only need 2 coats for an opaque finish. I love all 5 shades in this collection, but I think my favourite has to be Caramel. I'm looking forward to seeing what else Soigné come out with in the future.

Have you tried anything from Soigné?

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