Everyday Makeup For When Time Is Limited

These days I'm lucky to get 5 mins to do my makeup while Rory entertains himself, I usually put him in his cot to watch the cot mobile while I quickly slap some makeup up on attempted to make myself look presentable and less tired!

Don't get my wrong sometimes when you're a mum you just need to forget about makeup and enjoy your day and there is nothing wrong with that. At least 5 days a week, I am bare faced and I actually really love it but other times its nice to make more of an effort. 

For the base I usually don't bother with foundation,  I am super lucky to have good skin so I just use the Marcelle BB Cream in Golden Glow. I gives me a nice colour and evens out my tone. 

I desperately need concealer with the massive bags under my eyes so I use the Boujois Healthy Mix Anti-Fatigue concealer in 51 Light. It is a relatively sheer concealer which I like because this gives a natural look so that me skin still looks like skin!

I then powder all this into place with a H&M powder. Super necessary for me because I get so sweaty through out the day, having to hold a radiator baby most of the day.

The most important part of this look is the highlighter and blush from the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Edit Vol 3, the blush is a lovely pink shade, very natural but with a beautiful shimmer that makes my face look super healthy. I use highlight 2 in the palette and I am addicted to it! It makes you look like you have a natural glow from within, almost not there but makes you look so incredibly healthy!

Bronzer is my favourite step! I use the Urban Decay Beached Bronzer in Beached, I use a big fluffy Makeup Revolution brush to disperse the product which provides a really natural looking glow. This shade is perfect for me as it is just the right tone for everyday, I also lovvvvvveeee the packaging and just simple enjoy using it.

If Rory is still behaving himself I then use a fluffy Anastasia Beverly Hills eye brush to run some bronzer through my eye crease to give my eyes a little bit of depth and the I add a little highlight to my brow bone with the same Hourglass highlighter. For my brows I would usually use a brow powder to shape them but if I don't have the time then I just use this Fill + Tame Brow Gel in Brunette. I just run it through my brow hairs to provide a little colour and definition without looking too done.

For my lashes I have been using the Tanya Burr Cosmetics Selfie Lash, this isn't my favourite by far because of how little it does to my lashes but I find it works well for this look because it almost looks like I'm not wearing any mascara, matching well with the natural look. 

Lastly I use a little of this Body Shop Lip and Cheek stain in Peach on my lips. It's great because its a stain which lasts all day and is in a very natural your lips but better shade. I have had this for yonks so I doubt they still sell this same product but I'm sure they sell something similar! 

Please enjoy this really early Christmas photo of me and my boy while wearing this natural, quick, everyday look. I may look a little like a thumb but at least I'm glowing!

I've really been loving BB creams instead of foundation recently but only own this one mentioned in this post, what ones do you guys recommend? I'm desperate to try some other ones!

Trying Mamia by Aldi *

 This product was gifted but all thoughts are my own* 

By now I have used a good 80% of baby wipes brands on the planet. I never consistently buy the same ones although I do have my favourites, before having a baby I didn't realise that all wipes were different and that some would work better for me than others, I just thought they were wipes for baby butts!

We bought one pack of water wipes to bring with us to the hospital because at the hospital it was either that or cotton wool and water which I think is gross. My first experience with water wipes was during the night with a 1 day old baby covered in poo and millions of wipes flying out in one go! I mean, they cleaned him but I wasted loads and they were sort of too wet for me. Then after that we tried so many different wipes finding some too wet, some too dry but my main peeve was when too many wipes came out at once!

My favourites so far are Pampers Pure and Johnsons Extra Sensitive. But being that they are both big baby brands they can be quite expensive, I mean, £1 doesn't seem like a lot but it is when you use as many as a newborn needs!

Mamia is the baby brand by budget supermarket, Aldi. I have heard great things from friends and family, the prices are much cheaper than name brands and even a little cheaper than most supermarket brands. A full size pack retails for 49p which is half the price of bigger brands! So they can wipe twice the poo for the same cost!

As you can see on the front of the packet, these wipes have won a good few Mother&Baby Awards which is super reassuring that they are good for my baby. They are also suitable from birth and sensitive skin which is exactly what you want, keeping the chemicals at a minimum.

I have been using these exclusively for a week now and I can honestly say, I love them! They are just the right wetness, wet enough to do a good job but not so wet that they slip all over the place. They don't always come out one at a time but they do more often than not which is a huge plus for me. Overall, I feel like I am using less of these wipes per bum change and they are also cheaper which will save us a lot of money!

I don't usually shop at Aldi but I might have to start so I can pick these up more often!

More Tranquil Beauty Treats! *

These products were gifted but all thoughts are my own* 

Not long ago I was lucky enough to be send a bath pillow by Tranquil Beauty to review, if you look back a few months you will see how much I loved it! I've now been super lucky to be sent a few more bath time/pampering beauties to try.

The first item is these Massage Cups, I didn't even really know what they were until I received them, this is what the instructional leaflet says...

"Cupping is a deep tissue non invasive natural therapy that targets cellulite, by stimulating blood circulation: fat and toxins built up on the surface of the skin are promoted to the lymph drainage system. Our lovely cups leave skin visibly tighter, breaking up deposits of all that bad stuff"

I did a little research of my own and found that cupping is also used to help with the appearance of stretch marks which I have quite a few of (Thanks Rory!) I found this really interesting as I would do anything to improve the appearance of these pesky stretch marks! I know there is no miracle cure for them but any help is appreciated!

The instructions recommend you lubricate the skin first or use in the shower and make use of the water and soap. I have been using the Johnsons Bedtime Baby Cream, just because its what I had to hand and it works perfectly. Any kind of body cream would work well.

To use the cups, you squeeze and press against the skin then release the squeeze so that the cups suction to your skin. You can vary the pressure by experimenting with how much you squeeze the cup when applying. There are two size cups which do the same thing but just make using on different body parts easier.

I have been using the smaller cup on my stomach and hips, it works perfectly for this area.

I have been using these now for a few weeks now, the instructions do say to wait 30days of use before judging the results. So, baring this in mind, I am not currently seeing huge results but I do feel like something is changing! The stretch marks do seem lighter to me! And I am really enjoying using them as they feel really nice on the skin.

I will update you further in a few more weeks and let you know if anything has changed!

The second item Tranquil Beauty kindly sent me is a bath mat. I mean, bath mats are boring right? But they are a bathroom essential so I was pretty excited to have a good quality mat and to be able to review and see if this bathmat is any better than your cheap basic one. 

The packaging isn't quite as fancy as the cups or as the bath pillow I previously reviewed but it doesn't really need to be as it is a bath mat after all. 

I haven't had many bath mats before but the ones I have had haven't fitted around the plug hole like this. I personally stand quite close to the plug hole as we have an over the bath shower which is just above it so this is actually a really helpful addition. I also think that most mats don't span the whole bath length, just covering a small area in which for you to stand but this one fits the whole length meaning you have no slip risk anywhere in the bath. Great for children who fidget!

My favourite use however is to hold Rory's AngelCare bath seat still. I usually get in the bath with Rory and sit in front of the seat, I have to use my knees to hold the seat still while I bath him which can be really annoying. The mat is so helpful as it holds the bath seat in place for me! Obviously, please don't ever leave your child unattended but I do find this so handy and it means I have a little more freedom to clean and play with my little water baby.

Overall, the cups are really fun, really enjoyable to use and I like them a lot! Whether they work or not remains to be seen but I'm impressed with them so far.

The bath mat is very simple but I do think it has advantages that your basic bath mat doesn't, so if you are in the market, you can't go wrong with this one!

You can purchase the cups and mat HERE

Baby Boy Winter Wishlist

One          Two          Three          Four          Five          Six

Autumn is officially here and the weather sure reflects it! It is so freaking cold! Poor Rory has been constantly wrapped in blankets and wearing layer upon layer to keep warm as our house is like an igloo right now! Even with the heating on!

These are a few cold weather items I have been eyeing up...

We already have a Paddington style yellow rain coat ready for our Center Parcs holiday but I feel like he also needs an all in one to keep him toasty on outdoorsy walks, I'm not sure whether a waterproof option (one) would be the best choice or a wooly one (five), on one hand I think waterproof would be great as it is going to get quite rainy in the coming months so it will ensure he stays dry but then on the other hand I'm thinking well I'm not going to leave my baby out in the rain, he will have a rain cover over his pram so maybe waterproof isn't that important and he would be happier in something super snuggly?

Rory has a matching jumper and joggers set from Morrisons Nutmeg range that I absolutely love, I just think the style looks adorable on him and it just feels so wintery and warm for him. (two) is from  Next and it is literally adorable!!! So colourful but it's £12, I mean, this isn't expensive but option (four) is from Asda and it is literally the same idea but in grey with a slightly more grown up feel and it is only £7!!! I'm leaning more towards getting this one as it is equally as cute but much cheaper!

I also have a soft spot for knit wear, this cloud knitted all in one (three) just looks so warm and snuggly! I love that it looks suitable for a little one, really cute but also very modern and understated. 

The HEY set (six) is so lovely! I really like how colourful and child like it is, it would suit Rorys cheeky personality so well!

Next, Morrisons and Matalan are my absolute front runners for baby boy clothes at the moment, what are yours?

Base Products by Revolution Pro

I've been using Revlon Color Stay as my foundation and Collection Lasting Perfection as my concealer for literally ages. I don't tend to experiment with base products because its just too damn hard so when I find something that works, I stick with it. But, Revolution Pro has been all over youtube/blogs recently so considering I've been scrapping the barrel for a while I thought I would for once, try something new.

For foundation I thought I would try out the foundation drops in F2, this is the second lightest shade. I am quite fair but do have some olive tones to my skin, I tried the shade on my hand in store as well as a few others and thought this one looked the best but I think the lighting in store must have deceived me because its actually quite light! 

Liams nan actually asked me if I was feeling unwell! Ha!

The shade issue is obviously my fault but the product itself is actually very good! It is described as light weight with a medium coverage. I would agree, it does feel beautifully weightless on the skin and the coverage is medium in my opinion. I have quite good skin so for me it does nicely cover up my imperfections but I would say that if your skin is quite blemished then maybe this won't be enough for you. I have oily skin and I actually find it to be quite drying, I can work with it but I do feel that it might dry out dryer skin and might make blemishes look a little crusty. 

Overall, I am a fan! I wouldn't say it is the best foundation I've ever used but I certainly will be finishing the bottle! Once the weather gets colder and my skin gets dryer I might need to reconsider but until then I'm really liking it! Would recommend!

The concealer I chose is the Revolution Pro Full Coverage Camouflage Concealer in C1, Revolution Pro describe this as a concealer providing lasting maximum coverage. I went for the lightest shade which is describes as for fair skin with neutral tones and in hindsight I should have gone for C2 which is aimed at yellow undertones which would definitely have worked better for me. The concealer is described as maximum coverage so I expected that it would be thick, it is very thick, so thick that it is actually quite difficult to blend out and rather than settle into the skin it seems to sit on top of it. It seems too crease extremely badly and quickly, I powder it down as soon as I apply it and even that can't stop the creasing! 

If you don't have lines under your eyes maybe you will be ok with this but for me, it almost makes it look like I have wrinkles because it settles into my under eye lines so badly and obviously. The only way I can use this is too only apply on the outer section of my under eyes, completely avoiding the inner corner and inner under eye. 

This concealer however is really great for covering blemishes, due to the high coverage and thickness it covers so well and for me, I don't have lines on the rest of my face so it doesn't crease. So essentially, if you are crease free you'll love this! Otherwise its not for you!

Overall, I have been impressed with Makeup Revolutions rebranding, the packaging is sleek and more expensive looking than it used to be. The products are arguably better quality and the newer releases have been exciting ones! I would recommend the foundation, not so much the concealer but I definitely will be trying out some other Revolution Pro products! 

How To Entertain A 6 Week Old Baby

Since becoming a mum all I do is worry and one of those main worries is am I keeping my baby happy, entertained and am I stimulating/ helping him learn. I don't want to just leave him in a bouncer and hope for the best, I want him to thrive and learn! 

These are the things I've been doing to keep my 6 week old Rory entertained!

The most used baby product for us so far has been this Mamas & Papas octopus play mat, we got it in the sale and have used it every single day since Rory was roughly a week old. 

We are luck that Rory is quite independent and has always enjoyed laying on it and playing by himself. The 8 legs crinkle so he loves to kick his little legs and listen to the crunch, he stares at the mirror that hangs from the centre and screams in joy. He even likes to nap on it! 

When he gets bored of being on his back on the play mat I just flip him over for some tummy time! The mat is lovely and soft so its perfect for this! Rory loves a bit of tummy time and usually likes to lay and suck his fingers, occasionally trying to push himself up and look around which is great for his developing muscles! 

Something we have been doing more and more this past few weeks is using a carrier, Rory doesn't love his pram unless he's asleep and I don't love being restricted so using a carrier has been amazing! It is super beneficial for your your own wellbeing to get out of the house but its also great for baby to see new places and get some fresh air. It makes walking the dog so much easier and I love it for running errands as I'm completely hands free. And it means his little head is always at kissing distance!

We even took him for a walk with the family through sunflower fields which wouldn't have been possible with the pram. He slept all the way through the experience but he was very cosy against my chest. 

Everyday I read at least one book to Rory, he doesn't always pay attention or even seem like he's listening but I think its really important to get him interested in books and reading early. He has taken particular interests in these two, Thats Not My Lion has different textures inside which I rub his little fingers on and he loves that! Faces is also a great book as it is black and white which are the most interesting colours for babies, he mostly just likes the mirror on the front though!

I am already planning on getting him lots of books for Christmas and maybe even start working on a library corner for his nursery so he can really start to enjoy them and build up a good collection.

A change of scenery is always nice and that includes for babies. My lovely mum handmade this 

quilt for Rory so when the livingroom is becoming boring I take the quilt and lay it in different places around the house and just let Rory look around and play in a slightly different surrounding. He loves this! I also scatter a few different toys around him to interact with such as these rubber ducks.

Lastly, he really likes noise. The blue bear sings a lullaby and the other sings about numbers and foods. Not only are they great for learning, the also have bright colours that mesmerise him! He stares at them for such a long time and loves to knock them over! It can become boring pretty quite though having to keep sitting them back up again!

As Rory gets older I hope so incorporate loads more reading and when he's a bit older I can't wait to start doing arts and crafts with him! Both Liam and I are very creative so we can't wait to do these things with him!

What keeps your littles one entertained? I'd love some more ideas!