Urban Decay Beached Bronzer Review

We all know I'm a huge Urban Decay fan and I have been really enjoying using the bronzer from the Urban Decay Jean-Michel Basquiat blush palette for the past few summers. It is a deep warm bronzer that just works so well on my skin once ive got a bit of a summer glow. 

Although I love that bronzer, it is apart of a palette which can be annoying to take with you on your summer travels so when I saw this new release I though, I need it. 

The packaging is in a thin plastic compact with a good secure closure and the most summery worthy palm design on top. It is very sleek and compact but actually holds 9g of product which is a really nice amount! Especially when compared to my previous everyday bronzer which only has 2g. I don't feel like this will run out/hit pan anytime soon! The packaging also feels very sturdy, I don't feel worried that it'll break when I pack it away for a holiday. 

It comes in two shades, I went for Beached which is the darker shade. I am quite a pale girl so I don't know how well this would work for someone darker than me which is a let down as there isn't a darker option!  

Beached is a deep warm shade that I personally love,  it is also matte which makes it a good shade to contour and bronze with. I like to use it with a big fluffy brush but place it more precisely in place of contour. This gives a lovely summery, healthy look to the skin. 

As you can see, my skin tone is quite pale so it is a shame that there isn't a dark shade available. There will be many people this just won't work for which is such a shame as the product is great! So buttery and long lasting. 

I am really happy with this bronzer and if you're skin tone is similar to mine or lighter, give it a go! If not, sadly this isn't the one for you!

Baby Things We Already Have And Can't Wait To Use!

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If you have a baby or are expecting one I'm sure you've been doing the same as me and randomly going into the babies space and looking in every draw. Touching all the little clothes, smelling all the clean blankets and stroking the teddy bears, just generally looking forward to when little one finally arrives and uses all these adorable things! 

We have been incredibly blessed to have been gifted so many lovely things from family and friends, we did buy the majority of little boys things ourselves though. The nursery space takes up about half of our bedroom which we have fully redecorated to make it a neutral space that is suitable for both ourselves and for a baby, we didn't want the space to look too childish so a lot of the items we have bought are in white and grey. I'll be uploading a nursery tour soon!

I thought I'd talk you through just a few of the many things we have for baby that I am desperate to use! The next 3 weeks can't go quick enough!

One

Firstly is Ewan The Dream Sheep, it feels like everyone in the world has recommended Ewan and it helps that he is bloody adorable. So when my baby shower rolled around and people started asking what we wanted, I had to add Ewan to the list. Ewan is a sleep aid essentially, he is both a nightlight but also has a button in each foot that each makes a different soothing sound to help baby sleep. It did seem like faddy crap to me originally, like how can a few noises help a baby sleep? But the hype surrounding it is insane so I am now convinced it will help me raise a sleeping angel. Fingers crossed!

Two

One thing Liam was adamant on was that he hated standard Moses baskets and wanted something a little different. I told him that he could choose anything he wanted as long as it didn't cost the earth like most of the fancier ones do! He researched like crazy and came across a brand called Mokee, they are super affordable and we decided to go for a sleep bundle which included the Moses basket, cot and both mattresses for £229. I mean, thats such an insanely good price! I will say that the delivery took almost 7 weeks which is hard when you are as excited as we were but it did all come in perfect condition and the quality exceeded our expectations. 

The Wool Nest (shown) is the thing I am most excited about,  it is the softest, cosiest thing on earth and I am so excited for the first time we lay our little bundle down in it and most likely stare at him all night long! 

Three

First of all, babies name is not Jamie. That is still a closely guarded secret that only a few people know and are sworn to secrecy! Something we desperately wanted was a personalised blanket with little ones names on it. It just felt so special to open the box and see his name for the first time beautifully embroidered on this gorgeously soft white cellular blanket from MyFirstYears. This was a a baby shower present from Liam's mum (one of the lucky ones who knows the name) and is currently hanging on the side of the cot, it feels so surreal to see his name taking pride of place. It really brought it home how close we are to having a real baby here!

Four

Lastly, one of the first things we bought for baby was this Jellycat Lion. It has been with us since the very beginning of this pregnancy so it feels only fitting that it is one the things I am most excited about! I know he won't play with it at first but he will look so cute snuggled up next to it in photographs! Like all Jellycat toys, it is the softest thing. Our poor dog has been desperate the get his teeth around it for months, it's heartbreaking watching him lust after it! 

In all honesty, I'm excited for everything. Even plain white socks get me all excited. Even nappies get me excited! I'm crazy, I know but these are the few things I find myself staring at the most. 

What are you guys loving for your little ones? 

36 Week Pregnancy Update

The past few weeks have been busy to say the least! We went on holiday to Devon for 5 days, had a baby shower and Liam graduated university for the last time!

It is so lovely to have the photos and memories of Baby Fish at these events but my god did he make himself known!

Things have really ramped up recently, let talk about it!

1. Officially nothing fits, nothing. I have been shoe horning myself into maxi dresses and hoping they don't burst at the seems. 

2. It's not only clothes that doesn't fit, now neither do my shoes or my jewellery! I noticed while on holiday that my ankles had really swollen up and I could barely get my shoes on, I wore a Thomas Sabo anklet on the first day of holiday and by the last, I couldn't get it on. I did have a ring snuggie on my engagement ring which I no longer need and I live in flip flops. 

3. A whole week of walking along beaches and non stop activity really took its toll, I have never felt more tired in my life but also never felt better in my own skin! It was so nice getting my bump out in a bikini and taking gorgeous beach bump pics! 

4. I had the best time at my baby shower and am so grateful to everyone that made the day special and got lovely presents for Baby Fish. 

5. Washing baby clothes is a bloody nightmare, the whole time a wash is on I find myself constantly worrying that everything will come out misshapen or the wrong colour. It hasn't happened yet but I'm a washing disaster so I'm waiting for it!

6. I think I have a stretch mark, it is faint and pink but I feel like its getting darker. I'm not too sad about it as I expected it to happen but with only 4 weeks left! How annoying!

7. I am still being sick, I think it is safe to assume now that it isn't going away. I'm fairly certain I will throw up during birth/labour. 

8. His movements are so strong now that they are quite often really unpleasant. His rolls make me feel physically sick but at the same time, if I don't feel like every 5mins I panic like crazy.  

9. I think I have carpel tunnel, my fingers are constantly tingling/numb. Midwife says it's nothing to worry about but it really is driving me mad! 

10. We have had our 36week scan which was a horror from start to finish, the lady who did my blood test and blood pressure I swear was trying to kill me. She did my blood pressure repeatedly until my whole arm went purple and I couldn't move it then she tried to take blood from that arm which obviously didn't have any as it was dead! So she proceeded to wiggle the needle around and stab at me for ages before moving to the other arm. Then the lady doing the scan was so rough that she bruised my stomach but the overall outcome was that baby is fine and not quite as large as they originally thought so thats good at least!

I honestly can't get my head around the fact that he is due to be here in 4 weeks! We are completely prepared though, everything is washed, folded, put away, built and stocked up! The only thing left to do is get a mirror and window shades for the car, so I'm just using my time to sleep and relax my aching body now! 

Please don't be late little boy! I can't wait any longer to meet you! 

Baby Shower!!!

Last Sunday was my baby shower, my mum and my sister (above) planned the whole thing and it was held at my mums house. A baby shower is something I never dared to think about when we were trying to get pregnant as it just seemed like something we would never get to do, the fact that I'm even pregnant amazes me everyday and getting to share this special day with all my loved ones was just magical. 

I have my proper camera and my polaroid with me but I was so busy enjoying the day that the only photos I took were polaroids. Not that I mind as these photos are adorable! These are close ups of the polaroids and I just think they look so vintage and its so special to have just one copy of them which I am going to scrapbook along with other memorabilia from the day. I adore scrapbooking and can't wait to start on it! 

The shower was girls only but Liam did pop in towards the end to see the presents get opened and help with the cleaning up. 

My mum organised some games, there was no eating out of nappies at this shower (gross), we did the price is right, guess how many sweets in a bottle and the game above which you have a bag for each letter of "BABY SHOWER" and we had to guess a product that was in the bag starting with that letter. It was extremely hard, I sucked at it but my gorgeous niece Evie sure did enjoy emptying out all the bags once we were done and making a right mess! Look at that grin!

Evie's grin making an appearance again as she stuffs her face with cheese balls. This girl can really eat! She devoured half the buffet then sat on a scone, covering herself and her surroundings in jam!

Food in her hand again! 

The best bit about the shower was getting to see family, having all the girls together is so nice as it doesn't happen very often. Having everyone together to celebrate our impending little boy just made me so happy to know that he is going to be so loved and surrounded by such a great family. 

  

My mum went all out on the decorations and they looked great! 

We had a pick n mix table that pretty much just melted in the scorching heat but while they lasted, they looked absolutely adorable!

She also made this amazing nappy cake! It took me ages to take apart once we got home but we certainly won't be running out of nappies for a while! 

I had the best day and am so grateful to my mum and sister for organising and decorating everything and so thankful for all the gorgeous presents we got given. Little one will certainly not want for anything with this lot around! We could barely fit it all in the car to take it home! 

Now to chill out and wait for this little fish to make his grand entrance! 

Our Babymoon!

For the past five years Liam and I have been to the same place in Devon on holiday every year, Woolacombe, North Devon. Last year, he actually proposed while we were there at our favourite private beach so we were really sad when we ultimately decided that we wouldn't go this year as I would be 34 weeks pregnant and it was the only time we could go between Liam's university commitments and baby's arrival. 

As we go every year, the holiday park that we always stay at were sending an abundance of emails and letters about booking a holiday, deals and offers. We got sent such a good offer that we just couldn't ignore so decided that we would take the car chair and hospital bags with us and hope that the baby didn't make an early arrival and that I wouldn't die of tiredness while there! 

The huge bump and my swollen ankles didn't stop us from exploring the beach, we opted to hire some adorable deck chairs and enjoy the beach in a more peaceful way rather than exploring the rock pools like we usually do! It is extremely hard to get out of a deck chair however, when you are very pregnant! 

Couldn't not take at least a few classic Liam from behind photos! They are my favourite to take! 

On the last day we visited a beautiful little village and had a cream tea while taking in this amazing sea view! This village had the steepest hills on earth, I've never panted so much in my life and Liam had to physically push me up hills but it was worth it for this incredible view!

I mainly took polaroid photos because they just feel so much more special than a digital and the camera is also a lot lighter to carry than our massive camera we usually use! This worked out so much better for my tired whale body to handle! 

We took some lovely bump shots but this one is probably my favourite.

I have an insatiable appetite at the moment so we did spend most of our time either eating or planning where to eat next. We had loads of amazing cream teas, drank loads of tea and drowned ourselves in fudge. 

The best meal though, was the tapas. We went to this same tapas restaurant last year the day Liam proposed so it felt really special to go back again with baby fish as well. He kicked away in my tummy like crazy while I drank a delicious Peach and Passionfruit Daiquiri Mocktail, we went for the endless tapas deal so we had so much food and left feeling painfully full but it was worth it as the food was genuinely the best I have ever eaten. 

This was the view from our deck chairs I mentioned earlier, who wouldn't want to have a picnic looking at this and reading a book in the sun! We did get a little burnt though, despite the sun cream. But again, so worth it. 

We had such a good week away, the last just us two before we become a family of three! I can't wait to take the little one with us next year. We didn't take our dog, Watson, this year as we felt Liam would have his hands full looking after me let alone our needy yet adorable pup but he will definitely be coming next year so we can have a proper family holiday! 

The best Babymoon! 

26th Birthday Wishlist

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My 26th birthday is fast approaching so I thought it was time I compiled a wishlist of gifts I probably won't be receiving as our maternity leave belts are fully tightened but it's nice to dream! 

Twenty six suddenly feels so old! I don't know if it's the number itself or the fact that I become a mum this year but my grey hairs are growing with force and I've even started cooking dinner every night instead of living off junk food! 

I rarely get the occasion to wear makeup these days but that hasn't stopped me lusting after it! 

One - Urban Decay Beached Bronzer

I'm sure this came out a few years ago and I never bought it but it's now back as part of the Beached Collection for summer. I've only recently gotten into bronzer, I usually just go for a warm contour but  recently I've been using the bronzer out of the Urban Decay Jean-Michel Basquiat Blush palette a lot and loving it so I'd really like to try something new! The packaging is also gorgeous!

Two - Cath Kidston Card Holder

I currently have a Cath Kidston bag that I use everyday but it's relatively small and my huge purse takes up all the space inside. I don't feel that I need a big purse anymore as I never carry cash and most things are paid for using Apple Pay anyway so I've been on the lookout for a cute card holder and this one is prefect! It is currently reduced to £16 which is such a good price and the colour is to die for.

Three - Urban Decay Backtalk Palette

I've been dying to get my hands on this palette since it was teased on Instagram. It includes 8 eyeshadow shades and 4 blush/highlight shades. All in a beautiful rosy pink tones, I don't have anything else like it which makes it the perfect addition to my collection. Very wearable but also the kind of palette you can create a lot of looks with. 

Four -  Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector Pressed Highlight

Becca is a brand I've been hearing about everywhere the past couple of years but it's never been accessible to me but now it is available in John Lewis! I've always wanted to try the famous Champagne Pop shade as it is so raved about but I'm kinda leaning towards Moonstone as it is a paler shade and I'm a little ghostly at the moment!

Five

This palette is actually not out yet but it is currently being teased on Instagram loads! It is the second collaboration with youtuber SophDoesNails and Revolution Makeup. I have the first palette and it is incredible so the second is an absolute must have! I've also been thinking I'd love to try a yellow eye look recently but don't actually own a yellow eyeshadow so the two yellow shades in this palette are very appealing to me! The lipsticks in the collection look gorgeous as well but I'm all about the palette!

  If I only get one thing for my birthday this year, I hope this is it! 

31 Week Pregnancy Update: The Home Stretch

We are on the home stretch! Just 9 weeks until my due date and finally on maternity leave. I've genuinely never been more excited!

I'm feeling very lucky that I still feel "relatively" healthy and can still reach my feet to put my shoes on, I don't want to jinx it but so far the 3rd Trimester is treating me well. There are my recent updates...

1. My bump now touches the steering wheel in my car which means time to sell it! We no longer need two cars and I'm too tubby to drive anyway!

2. I've only been on maternity leave for a week and I'm already bored and I'm constant stress mode about money. Maternity pay really is rubbish but the bills still need paying! 

3. Baby is due in 9 weeks and it still doesn't feel real. Will the realness hit me soon?! 

4. Maternity clothes don't even fit me anymore, everything feels too restricting and like its squeezing me so now I spend all my time in the nude or in enormous pyjamas.

5. Nesting is real and it has bit me like a ton of bricks! I've organised little boys clothes so many times and I can't stop hoovering! And having even one knife in the sink sends my anxiety into overdrive! 

6. I've always been a crazy dog mama but my pup has been so extra cute to me recently. I can't stop mothering him, the poor boy is sick of all the attention but I just want cuddles!

7. Little boy kicks so hard and rolls around to intensely that I feel like I'm going to throw up. Sometimes I actually do throw up. It just like a normal occurrence for me now. 

8. My belly button is still an innie and everyday I poke it and inspect the depth of it and hope that it stays in. PLEASE STAY IN! 

9. No stretch marks as of yet, have I just tempted fate by telling you that?

10. We have officially been informed that I am growing a very big baby. I have already had and passed a gestational diabetes test but I am being sent for another one just in case that is why but mostly likely I am just the mother of a baby whale. The hospital have said they will re assess the situation at the 36 week scan which could mean being induced a few weeks early or a number of other possibilities but tbh, I'm not fussed as it would be lovely to have him a few weeks early and of course, what ever is safest for me and baby is fine by me.

Overall. I'm feeling surprisingly calm so I am just casually waiting for the panic to set in and enjoying binge watching Desperate Housewives in the meantime.