Freddie Turns One

So this time last year (as I'm writing this) I was 4 days from my due date, chilling on the sofa watching Call the Midwife with no doubt a cuppa tea and countless snacks in hand. I'd had a busy day manically cleaning the house (aka nesting) and was blissfully unaware of the fact we were only hours away from meeting our brand new bundle.

Lush Happy Hour Party & Easter 2016 Collection

I know what you're all thinking.... 'yawwwn, here she is, talking about Lush AGAIIIIN'. What can I say? I just adore Lush and everything about it. I was lucky enough to be invited along to a Happy Hour event for local bloggers last week, and we got to have a sneaky peak at their new Easter range. I thought I'd pop a post up showing some of the exciting new products and explaining all about their Happy Hour Party packages, as I didn't even know they existed!

New Garnier Moisture Bomb 3 in 1 Day Cream & Super Recharging Gel Night Cream

I'm sure you know how much I love a new skincare product, and when a product is made specifically for dehydrated skin and has the words 'moisture bomb' in the title, it just becomes too hard to resist. I was in Boots the other day and I spotted 2 brand new products from Garnier; a day cream and a night cream. Obviously the name jumped out at me, but also the fact that I hadn't seen or read anything about them made me very curious indeed. The next thing I knew, they'd both tripped, fallen off the shelf and into my basket. It seems to happen to me a lot come to think of it!

So Poundland Do Lipsticks....

That's right, POUNDLAND have their own makeup range. I decided to try a couple of their lipsticks out as I'd actually read somewhere that they were quite nice. I picked up two of the Makeup Gallery All About That Pout Lipsticks in the shades Raspberry Smoothie & Outrageous Orange and was surprisingly impressed....

L'Oreal Extraordinary Clay Range - For Oily Roots & Dry Ends

FINALLY! A haircare range to target the pesky business of oily roots and dry ends. I've struggled with this issue ever since I can remember. Probably because my hair has been blonde for most of my hair colouring years, resulting in ends which resemble straw (slight exaggeration but anyway). I've tried so many moisturising haircare ranges, hair oils, masks etc, and whilst they do a great job at giving me softer ends, they don't help with the oily roots situation. It's so frustrating, as by the second day my hair is shouting out for a wash, but I don't want to wash it too often as I know that it will only make matters worse in the long run. (The more you wash away the natural oils, the more they are produced. Damn you nature). Whoever invented dry shampoo needs a medal if truth be told! When I spotted the new L'Oreal Extraordinary Clay range which promises 72 hours of purified roots and hydrated ends, I ran to my local Boots to snap it up!

My First Ever Nail Polish Repurchase

Some of you nail polish addicts may think it's crazy to have never repurchased a nail polish, but I honestly have so many in my stash and I'm a sucker for a new collection, so I've never felt the need to repurchase an old nail polish, until my absolute favourite ran out and I just needed to replace it....

3 To Try

Helloooo there my lovelies. Welcome to a new series entitled '3 to try'.  I've seen a few people do this type of post and I really enjoy reading them so I thought I'd give it a go. #enabler #soznotsoz. There's 3 products in my stash that I always find myself reaching for, and ones that I think you all should own, ok?

5 Ways to Refresh Your Blogging Mojo

Ok so if you're a fellow blogger you'll know all too well how easy it is to get stuck into a rut, get writers block and lose your mojo. I've been there so many times, often during the winter months when there's only a few hours a day of good lighting for photography, and when you've got a baby and a toddler in the mix it sometimes proves impossible. Anyway, I've picked up a few tricks to try and get myself back on track and feel more refreshed.

1. TAKE A LITTLE BREAK

If you feel like you're stuck in a rut and you're just writing any old blog post just because you feel like you haven't published one in a few days, then stop. Step back, take a little break, recharge your blogging batteries and trust me, you'll feel much better and have tonnes more ideas when you've had a chance to think properly.

2. READ OTHER BLOGS FOR INSPIRATION

I'm not saying copy everyone elses content ideas. But reading other blogs is excellent for getting inspiration and ideas. I fully recommend bloglovin' for this. Scrolling through bloglovin' instantly gets the ideas whizzing around my brain and makes me want to get back into it!

3. GET INVOLVED IN THE COMMUNITY

Nothing makes me want to get back into blogging more than if I get involved in blogger chats on Twitter. Everyone is so friendly and supportive and they give so many ideas and advice. #bbloggers and #fblchat are my faves.

4. CREATE A SPREADSHEET

I got this idea from Rhianna (Robowecop) and it has helped me SO MUCH. I have a spreadsheet page for each month and I try and plan ahead the posts I want to write. I then colour code the day. For example;

Green = Complete & Scheduled

Yellow = Photos Taken

Blue = Post Written

Red = No Post Day

It has seriously helped so much, I have this open every time I have my laptop on now so it's easy to look at and see where I'm at and what needs doing first. #prioritise

5. HAVE A BLOG MAKEOVER

It's amazing what a fresh lick of paint will do. Having a change on your blog (whether it be a whole new layout or simply switching your html up a bit and adding a new photo) will really make you want to make the most of your fresh page. Update your about me, contact details etc, and I can guarantee you will feel much cleaner in the mind. Think blog feng shui.

What are your top tips for getting back into blogging?

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Forever Repurchase

We all have those hero products that we couldn't be without. I've got a small selection of products that have become holy grails within my stash, and ones that I have and will always repurchase. 

Pixi Glow Tonic has received cult status in recent years, and it's obvious why. It's the one product that can really sort my skin out. Nothing else makes my skin glow like this does. It's an exfoliating toner, but one that's gentle enough to use twice a day. It removes dead skin cells, softens, brightens and overall just makes my skin so clear. I've already repurchased this and know it will forever be a staple in my routine. It was pretty tricky to get hold of when I first discovered it, but it's much more widely available now. I picked mine up in my local M&S as they have just started stocking Pixi. 

Another product which I'm sure you're sick of me banging on about is Nuxe Reve De Miel Lip Balm. You know something is a holy grail when you run out and actually panic. I use this lip balm every single night without fail. It's the only lip balm I've ever tried that I don't have to reapply through the night if my lips are dry. It's really thick in texture but it feels amazing on the lips and I can still feel is doing its thaaang the next morning.

Another lip hero that I know I will always repurchase is Lush Lip Scrubs. So far I've tried Popcorn, Bubblegum and their new Valentine's limited edition The Kiss Lip Scrub. They all taste amazing and they do the best job at removing any dead skin and prepping the lips for lip balm or lipstick. Definitely a product that every girl should own.

Concealers are a product I've always struggled with. Getting one that doesn't crease, flake and settle into fine lines is a pretty hard task. I found Soap & Glory Kick Ass Blur & Brighten Concealer Crayon and it was instant love. I still haven't found anything quite like it. It's really, really creamy and probably isn't for everyone, but for my dry skin I absolutely love it. It's amazing under the eyes to brighten and make me look more awake. I've been through 2 of these already and desperately need to pick up another.

For the nails, no other topcoat will ever come close to Seche Vite. It's the fastest drying top coat EVER and makes a rushed manicure so much easier. It gives a high shine finish and makes my polish last that little bit longer. I certainly couldn't be without it.

What products will you forever repurchase?

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