Nails Inc for Marie Claire in the shade 'Fashion'

If you didn't see it, my last post was about the amazing freebies in some of April's magazines and in particular Marie Claire and Glamour. Marie Claire are offering the choice of 4 Nails Inc nail polishes (worth £11 each) bargain or what? I used the one I chose yesterday and love it so much I think it deserves it's own post - purely so you can all run out and grab it before it's too late! Thank me later ;-)

Out of the 4 shades available to choose from, I went with the shade 'Fashion' - a cool, pale lilac that I think will look stunning on most skin tones, especially those with a tan! I love Nails Inc nail polishes, their formula is top notch and super easy to apply. Here's how it looked after 2 coats...

Seriously fighting the urge to run out and grab the other 3 shades.
What do you think of this shade?

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April 2015 Magazine Freebies | Marie Claire & Glamour

Ooooh don't you just love a good magazine freebie? April's magazines have some pretty good stuff up for grabs so I thought I'd share them with you.

Marie Claire April 2015 - Free Nails Inc Polish Worth £11.
£3.99

There's 4 shades up for grabs here;

Fiesta - hot pink

Fashion - cool, pale lilac

Fizz - pale, pastel pink

Festival - deep, nude beige

I had the choice of the 4 when I went to pick mine up and I settled on Fashion, which is a beautiful pale lilac and looks perfect for spring. These shades are exclusive to Marie Claire so you won't be able to get your hands on these after this month. I'm really tempted to get all 4, or at least get my hands on Fizz. (I have far too many hot pink and nude shades in my stash as it is).

Glamour April 2015 - Free Balance Me Product.
£2

4 different products to choose from;

Radiance Face Mask (worth £12)

Pure Skin Face Wash (worth £11)

Super Moisturising Body Wash (worth £6)

Tinted Lip Salve (worth £12)

Again, I had the choice of all 4 here when I went into WHSmith's. I chose the Radiance Face Mask as I just can't resist a face mask, especially when the word radiance is used. I've tried Balance Me products before and have been really impressed so I'm looking forward to using it. For £2 you really can't go wrong. Think I might have to pick up the Pure Skin Face Wash too.

Have you grabbed any of the April freebies?

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Latest In Beauty The Glamour Spring Beauty Edit

I'm not a massive lover of beauty boxes as I find they usually only include one or 2 products I'm really interested in, so basically find them a bit of a waste of money. It's very rare to find a beauty box in which all of the products 'wow' me. The Latest In Beauty Glamour boxes are an exception to this and always seem to include some amazing products. I missed the last one and I was determined not to miss out this time around. The Latest In Beauty Glamour Spring Beauty Edit is one of those boxes that has really amazed me! It's worth a whopping £99, costs just £16.99 with free postage and includes 8, yes 8, full size products, one sample sized fragrance and a digital subscription to Glamour Magazine. All 8 products are from well known brands and I'm seriously impressed.

Firstly we have 2 amazing hydrating masks from well known brands;

For the skin: The Nuxe Créme Fraiche de Beauté Mask (£18.50) is supposed to be a god send for dry skin so I can't wait to give it a go! 

For the hair: The Moroccan Oil Intense Hydrating Mask (£8.95) is formulated for chemically treated hair. I've been wanting to give this brand a try for the longest time as my hair is so dry and damaged from being constantly coloured and changed.

Also included is some beautiful makeup products;

Beauty UK High Brow All In One Brow Definition Kit (£3.99) - the mid brown shade looks perfect for my brows so I look forward to testing this out.

ModelCo Créme-Rouge Cheek & Lips - a versatile cream product that works for both cheeks and lips. It's in the shade Just Peachy and looks lovely for spring.

Rimmel Oh My Gloss Lip Gloss (£5.49) - I think there's a few different shades to be grabbed here. I got the shade 

Kiko Long Lasting Stick Eyeshadow (£6.90) - I've heard a lot about these and have been dying to get my hands on one. I got the shade 07 Golden Beige which is a stunning pale gold. I think it'll be a great everyday shade.

If they weren't enough, you also get 2 amazing nail products and a sample fragrance;

Revlon ColorStay Gel Envy Nail Enamel & Diamond Top Coat (£6.99 each) - Again, there's a few different shades available in the nail polish. I got the shade Full House which is like no other colour I own. It's so amazingly vibrant and think it will really stand out with a tan. The diamond top coat is a high shine top coat to seal in colour and prevent chips.

Ellie Saab L'Eau Couture EDT - a sample size which is really light and easy to wear. Perfect for the spring.

I told you it was a good box! I'm super impressed and can't wait to put them all to the test. Expect some full reviews within the next few weeks and in the meantime.... get it ordered HERE.

  
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Pinspiration #2 - New Hair

Soooo I'm one of those people who gets an idea into their head, obsesses over it, goes ahead with it and then instantly regrets it. Especially when it comes to my hair. I've had so many different hairstyles and hair colours over the years that I've decided that this time I'm gonna research and take time deciding what I really want before I go ahead and do it!

I had a longish bob around a year ago and then decided I wanted long hair again so I've been growing it and really trying to look after it. Then what happens? The long bob comes into fashion and I suddenly NEED it back in my life. My hair is currently so boring I can't even cope. It's a dull light brown with absolutely no style to it and I'm desperate for a change. I'm loving the blunt 'lob' that's in at the moment and have been literally obsessing over pictures on Pinterest ever since Lauren Conrad shocked the world with her massive hair change. The only problem I have is that I'm trying to grow out my fringe so I won't get the full blunt look straight away until the fringe grows out completely. 

In terms of colour, I'm thinking about going back blonde, maybe a dark blonde base with light blonde balayage. I'm wanting something relatively low maintenance and easy for the summer, especially with two young children to run around after. 

Do I do it?

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My Labour & Delivery Story: Introducing Freddie Joseph Thompson

It's a BOY!!!

If you're a regular reader of my blog, you'll know we've been patiently awaiting the arrival of our second baby. Well I can now happily announce that our yellow bump turned blue and he's absolutely P E R F E C T! 

Freddie Joseph Thompson arrived on Wednesday 25th February 2015 at 5:06am after an amazingly quick labour and delivery. He weighed a very healthy 8lbs 6oz. Just like his big brother, he was a very kind 3 days early. I would hate to go overdue and I really feel for ladies who do. Those last few weeks are such a drag! Words cannot describe the love I have for this little boy. You think you can't love anything or anyone as much as you do your first born, but the as soon as I laid eyes on Freddie that same love just hit me. I can't believe he's here and how lucky I am to have 2 beautiful sons.

Labour & Delivery Story

Due Date: 28th February 2015

Arrived: 25th February 2015

Don't worry, I won't go into graphic detail!

On the Tuesday (24th) I went about my normal day to day activities; I went to the shops with George, came home and cleaned my house from top to bottom with the help of my Mam (thanks Ma). Clearly I was nesting, I should have known then that he was gonna make an appearance very soon. We had a pretty normal evening; had tea, baths, put George to bed etc. and I settled down with an episode of Call The Midwife (lol) whilst Martin watched the football. It wasn't until I was ready for bed that the pains started. Typical, I know. The exact same thing happened with George. Your body waits until you're completely settled and ready for a good night's sleep and then BAM.

So it was around 11pm when I started getting strong braxton hicks contractions. I'd been having them pretty regular towards the end of my pregnancy, but these ones started getting that little bit more uncomfortable. I didn't wanna get my hopes up that they were anything significant so we went upto bed. By about 11.30pm the pains started getting stronger and more regular. I did start to think this was the real thing, so I took some paracetamol in the hope that I could get a couple of hours sleep. By Midnight they were getting stronger and seemed to be regular and I realised I wasn't getting any sleep so we both got up and went downstairs.  Martin made me a cup of tea and I had a good bounce on the birthing ball as it seemed to help with the pain. At this point the pains were getting seriously intense and regular. I downloaded a contraction timer and began timing each contraction. It was crazy how fast things got moving, as around 1.30am the contractions were coming every 2-3 minutes and lasting around 40/50 seconds. This, compared to my last labour was just ridiculously fast. It felt like my body didn't have time to get used to the contractions as they just hit me like a tonne of bricks. I tried to tell myself that I could cope a little bit longer as I didn't wanna go into hospital too soon only to be sent home again like I did last time so Martin ran me a bath at about 2am and I sat in there for 20 minutes. It seemed to help a little bit but I still felt as though I was losing control a little bit. When I got out of the bath we rang the hospital and told them how far apart the contractions were and they told us to come in right away. Martin got on the phone to his Mam (bless her), who had said she would be on call incase we needed her during the night as we had George and Martin's older 2 children in bed. She arrived at around 2.40am and we set off for the hospital straight away.

When we arrived at the hospital (around 2.50am) I was really struggling with the pain. Luckily we passed a couple of nurses on the way in who offered me a wheelchair and helped us up to the delivery suite. When I got up there I was greeted by my midwife (who was amazing by the way), and she took us into our room. After a couple of horrific contractions which resulted in me being on my knees by the bedside, I managed to climb up onto the bed so she could examine me. To our huge surprise, she informed me I was already 8/9cm dilated. I could not believe it! I was shocked but absolutely amazed and slightly proud that I'd managed to get that far at home. I was given gas and air and she told me that my waters would probably break within the next hour or so - but they didn't. She asked if I'd like her to break my waters and I immediately said yes as I just wanted to get things going and moving as quick as possible. Gas and air is the strangest feeling ever, I definitely find it helps through the contractions, but it does leave you feeling slightly drunk/woozy so I don't like to overdo it. Once my waters had broken, things began to really get serious. The pains got so much worse but I was coping (just about) with the gas and air. Martin was so good with me, giving me water through a straw and holding my hand through each contraction. I did think I was losing it at one point, but Martin and my midwife were so good and reassured me that I was doing brilliantly. By around 4.30am I felt the urge to push. I'm not gonna lie, it was complete agony, but with their help I got through it. It's amazing what the body can do. It takes over and you've got no choice but to go with it. For the last couple of contractions my midwife took the gas and air from me and told me to put my all in. At 5:06am, after a few screams/grunts, Freddie entered the world. I know it's a cliché and people always say it, but the pain instantly disappeared. It's the most amazing feeling of relief when the body plops out (lol). Martin got the wonderful job of telling me we had a beautiful baby boy, as well as cutting the cord. He looked slightly grey/purple when he first came out but apparently that's normal and he soon gained colour. He had a good set of lungs on him and had a good scream on my chest whilst the midwife dealt with my placenta and paperwork etc. After a long cuddle and some skin to skin, he was weighed and wrapped up for a cuddle with Daddy.

I definitely think this labour was more painful than last time, but I dunno if it's because last time was 26hours so my body had time to adjust to the pains, or that I've just forgot how bad it was, ha. All I can say is that it all is forgiven. Freddie - you were completely worth it.

I can't even tell you all how smitten I am. I can't believe how much I love this little person. Like I said, I never thought it was possible to love anyone as much as I love George, but it is 100% possible. It's instant. I'm so happy with my family right now. George has taken to his new little brother like he was always here. - he doesn't really make a fuss of him but does find it funny when he cries. I don't think it's affected him that much apart from being slightly clingier towards me, which I think is only natural when he's used to having me all to himself.

I'm sure you'll be seeing a lot more of my 2 boys if you follow me on Instagram, and I'm hoping to include a lot more parenting/lifestyle posts on here. I hope you enjoyed this very wordy post, and hope my quick labour story has given hope to all you second time Mums who had a long first labour.

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