October Beauty Favourites 2015

October flew by!! It'll be 2016 before we know it! 
I do love Autumn time though, a bit less rain and it'd be perfect! :)

So, it's that time again, to share with you my 5 most used, most-loved beauty products this month...

MAC Eyeshadow in Amber Lights (£13.00)

This shade always comes out in Autumn! It's one of my favourite eyeshadows to use in Autumn time, it's just the perfect shade for this season! I'll often wear it in my crease, or in the outer corners of my eyes, I love creating different looks with it.
 I've probably used it for the last 3 Autumn's, so I should probably throw it out, but it pains me to!! 

Balmi Lip Balm (£4.99/Boots)

One of my most favourite lip balms ever, I've been using it every day lately.

I have a coconut one but the others smell amazing too.

It's so so soft! It contains shea butter, jojoba oil and vitamin e so it's really moisturising.

It's perfect for keeping lips in tip top condition during this season.

Lush The Comforter Shower Cream (£4.95)

I've been loving using this lately, it smells gorgeous, it's quite similar to Snow Fairy but less sickly. I've only been using this on my torso recently as I'm trialling a shower gel to hopefully help with my Keratosis Pilaris, on my arms and legs. But I love the way it makes my bathroom smell afterwards. It's always a dead giveaway when I know my 11 year old has been using it!! :)

Ameliorate Body Polish (£19.50*)

I'm currently trialling Ameliorate's range to help with my KP. I've been using them about a week and a half now and although there isn't much change in the appearance of my KP at the moment, it's feeling so much softer and smoother!! This stuff is really effective, it's really scrubby and contains lactic acid and micro-dermabrasion granules. Definitely the best exfoliator I've used, and I've used many!! :)

No7 Protect & Perfect Day & Night Cream (£24.95 each/Boots)

You know it's a good product when you look forward to using it, and I really do love using this night cream, the consistency is just gorgeous! 

My skin looks brighter and feels really comfortable since using these creams. 

Definitely favourites this month!

What products have you been loving lately?

xxx

*Sent to me for honest review

Glam Glow Brightmud Eye Treatment : Review

I've been really wanting to get my hands on Glam Glow's Mud treatments for a while, so when I spotted their Eye Treatment for LESS THAN half the price (good ol TK Maxx!), I was quick to snap it up.
Glam Glow BrightMud Eye Treatment (£44.99) was designed to work for Hollywood actors in just a few minutes, before going in front of the camera.

The shiny silver box contains 12 chrome cells, containing 2 sets of treatments, one for each eye. 
It promises to reduce dark circles, puffiness, tired eyes, fine lines as well as hydrating, brightening and plumping the skin around the eye area. All in just 3 quick minutes, which makes it perfect for slipping into the morning skincare routine.  You simply tap on an even layer of the treatment from the inside out, and leave for 3 minutes. After the 3 minutes is up, just wipe with a soft, dry tissue. And hopefully, you're left with super bright eyes!
'Non-Dry FrostWipe Bioactive Mud consists of powerful actives:

• Natural High Bioactivity Materials & Bentonites absorb toxins delivering high nutrients & minerals
• Powered by NEW Actives: 14% Nitroffeine - Powerful C8H10N4O2 Proprietary Caffeine Formula, 5% Juvelane - Revolutionary Titan-molecule Design & TEAOXI PEPPERMINT LEAF - Activating TRPM8 Cold Compression Brightening Finish.' (glamglowmud.co.uk)

So let's see shall we! This is Glam Glow, I'm expecting big things!

First Impressions
On opening the capsules I could see that I was only going to need to use one capsule for both eyes.  The treatments are a jelly-like substance, it looks like muddy-jelly, almost mucous looking. 
I'm really selling this stuff to you aren't I? You just can't WAIT to get your hands on it, I know this!! ;)

I tapped the treatment under my eyes from the inner corners outwards. There is MORE than enough for both eyes and I even had some left so popped a little around my upper eye area too. It felt quite cool around my eye area which was nice for a bit of an awakening first thing in the morning.  I've read you can keep them in the fridge for an extra cooling burst. I set the alarm on my phone for 3 minutes, which flies by pretty quick, so it doesn't add too much time onto your usual skincare routine.  Taking some soft, dry tissue, I gently wiped away the 'goo' from my eye area. It comes away really easily so no need to rub or go back and wipe more than once, plus the micro layer of actives you may leave provide extended results. 

Hmm. I'm not sure I can see any difference. I still have dark circles under my eyes, they don't look any more plumped, my fine lines are still there. 
But it was only the first treatment, I should give it a chance, right? 
Second treatment, still no difference.
After 2 weeks
So I've used 4 treatments now, using 1 every 3 days for 2 weeks. What do I think? Well, I really wanted this to be amazing! But unfortunately it wasn't. My fine lines were still there, dark circles no brighter, no change at all really. The skin around my eyes does feel smooth though. But you can get that from any budget eye cream.
It's a shame, as I've heard such good things about Glam Glow.  I'm glad I didn't pay full price for it. 
Of course, if you want to try it out for yourself, go ahead! Don't take my word for it. It may work for you. But for me, it didn't, and personally I wouldn't waste your well earned beauty budget on it!
Sorry Glam Glow, but it's a no.

Have you been let down by any products lately?

xxx



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Taylor's 1st Trip to the Zoo

Taylor loves animals! He gets all excited when he sees animals out and about, in books and on the TV. And he's getting pretty good at animal sounds too! It's half term and Bradley was off on a day trip with his friend, James had a day off work so we decided to take a trip to Twycross Zoo!
Take a look at our day, in pictures...

We had a fantastic day at Twycross Zoo, there was so much to see and do! Taylor loved it, especially the monkeys! :)

Taylor wears: Multi Printed Padded Jacket (£18.00/Next) 'Mummy is a Blogger' TShirt (£13.50/Gorgeous Little George) Trousers (Baby Gap)

Have you been on a fab day out lately?
xxx

Babymoov Baby Grooming Set : Review

As a Babymoov Blog Ambassador, it's my duty to share some of their fantastic products with you!

Take a look at this Grooming Set*. 
A 'vanity kit', 'medicine bag', 'weekend bag', 'travel kit'... call it what you will, it's a great personal care kit for a new baby.

Encased in this plastic storage case with buttons and velcro for easy opening, the toiletry case fits nicely into your medicine cabinet and contains all the essential baby care items for every day use.

The zip-able bag with carry straps contains numerous storage pockets and is also perfect for travelling or nights away from home. 

Let's take a look what's inside:

• Digital Thermometer 
• Scissors
• Nail Clippers
• Nail File
• Nasal Aspirator
• Comb
• Double Faced Gum Massager
• 2 Plastic Bottles for liquids [shampoo/bubble bath etc]
• Small Case for transporting medicines or other important things safely and securely.

I think it's a great, practical kit for keeping everything for baby altogether, whether you're at home or on the move, this set keeps everything neatly packaged together for easy access.
It would make a perfect 'new baby' gift.
Take a look at more great items from Babymoov at babymoov.co.uk


What do you think?
xxx


*Received free for the purpose of this blog post, as part of the blog ambassadorship with Babymoov




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Keratosis Pilaris : My Experience

As a pre-teen, I started to notice these rough, red bumps on my skin. They were all over the tops of my legs, a little on the backs of my calves and the tops of my arms.  It wasn't until I started high school that it started bothering me. I remember talking to my Mum and our neighbour about it. 'I've got spots on my arms and legs!' and the neighbour telling me she'd much rather have had spots there than on her face. But these were no teenage spots that came and went, these nasty little bumps didn't go anywhere!
My Mum took me to the doctors who just simply told me, 'It's normal, they'll disappear as you get older.'
That didn't help.
It really affected me as a teenager. I was so self-conscious. While all the other girls in my class were sporting the shortest gym skirts they could find, I was trying to find a way to wear them as long as I could, so nobody would see the tops of my legs. I would hide in the toilets during PE or fake illnesses so that I could go home. :( It affected my wellbeing massively and continued to do so as I got older. I would constantly wear black tights with my school uniform which would get a few comments on the hottest Summer days!
So, What is Keratosis Pilaris?
KP, or Chicken Skin, as it's often affectionately known as, is a harmless, painless dry skin condition giving the appearance of constant goose pimples.  Apparently, around 40-50% of the population suffer from it.  Although I haven't found many of them?! Everybody in the world expect me has gorgeous smooth skin, right? It's genetic, simple as that. Another thing to thank the parents for! And there is no cure. But they do say it usually improves as you get older. But I'm 31 and it's still very much there!
It occurs when the skin produces excess keratin, the natural protein our skin produces. So that lovely stuff we spend a fortune on and cake our hair in, to make it smooth and beautiful, well I have tons of the natural stuff on my skin, in fact it over-produces it, which along with dead skin cells, block the hair follicles and forms small red bumps all over the skin, making it the complete opposite of smooth and beautiful. Ironic! 

KP can look like red goosebumps and often gets worse during cold weather and can look visibly inflamed, almost rash like. The main areas it can affect are the tops of the arms and legs, bottom, sometimes cheeks. As I mentioned before, I get it on the tops of my arms, tops of my legs and sometimes my calves. The tops of my arms are covered in freckles too, so sometimes looks a lot worse.
Unfortunately, I've passed it onto Bradley, my 11 year old. Luckily he hasn't seemed fussed by it as yet.
Goodbye Chicken Skin
Up until a few years ago, I didn't even know it had a name. But when I did come across it, it was such a relief to know that it was an actual skin condition and I wasn't the only person to be suffering with it. It was time to take a stand and find a way to get rid!  I know there is no cure, it's more about managing it and finding the right products to improve the look of your skin. Before I fell pregnant with Taylor, I used to use sun beds regularly, which did my skin wonders. Of course, I don't recommend this, sun beds leave you at risk of many health risks and you could be doing your skin more harm than good. 
So I've been doing a little research and I've found some great ideas, tips, DIY remedies and product recommendations. And I intend to follow them up and see what works. And share them with you, of course!

I'm looking forward to trying out these products from Ameliorate, which were specifically developed by a fellow KP sufferer, to provide a solution to KP prone skin. 
Look out for my follow up blog posts for tips, advice and to see how I get on.

Do you suffer from KP? I'd love to hear your tips and advice? I'd love to hear how you manage it!

xxx




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Getting Halloween Ready with Zazzle

When Zazzle* contacted me to ask if I was interested in creating some Halloween goodies from their site, I was super excited!

Zazzle are an online shop offering indie and branded designs, plus the chance for customers to custom design their own products. 

They pride themselves on letting you add a personal touch to anything from clothing and cards, to fabric and wall art, to the highest quality.

The website is super easy to use. Simply click 'create' and the products you'd like to customise. 

There are SO many things to choose from; hoodies, playing cards, posters, clocks, water bottles, even flip flops! 

I designed all the images, logos and designs myself, using Clipart and PicMonkey - the online photo editor, and simply chose the items I wanted to add them to. The website quickly showed me what they would look like and I added them to my basket. Very, very easy!!

Take a look at what I made:

A cute, long sleeved 'Cheeky Little Monster' top for Taylor.

I love this, he can also wear this any other time, other than Halloween.

Halloween Posters for the front door.

I designed this Trick or Treat image and added it to a poster to decorate the front door. Along with this second poster which asks kindly for no more trick or treaters which we'll pop up when Taylor goes to bed, as  we don't want people banging on the door and waking him all evening! :)

Canvas Bags

These personalised canvas bags are perfect for Trick or Treating or keeping Halloween goodies inside.

Spider Web Nail Wraps

I designed these cool spider web Minx nail wraps for spooky nails on Halloween night!

Trick or Treat Stickers
These stickers will be perfect for handing out to Trick or Treaters with their treats on Halloween night.

I had so much fun designing and customising my own products for Halloween. The items arrived quickly and are all great quality and exactly how I imagined. I'm already planning some more items to customise!

Fancy designing your own products or customising some fantastic gifts? Visit zazzle.co.uk.

What are you planning for Halloween this year?

xxx







*I designed these products myself,  they were sent to me for free  for the purpose of this post