My favourite eye creams :)

So up until about 4 - 6 months ago I had NEVER used any sort of eye product, I'm still pretty young so have never really worried about wrinkles, however I am now nearly 25 so thought It was time I started thinking about it. Plus being a Mum to a toddler I don't always get as much sleep as I would like so big black bags are a common feature!

So here are the eye creams that I use and What I think of them, I have got a budget one, a mid range one and a high end one and I am going to do a small review on each.

So I will start with the budget one

Vaseline, Anew Vitale eye cream and Estee Lauder night repair eye cream

Vaseline has been a regular product in my night time skin care routine, you can put a large amount on and let it soak in overnight, I think this product is great. It can be used for much more than just skincare and is so cheap you can use as much as you like and not feel guilty about using it. I wouldn't usually use this right before putting my makeup on as it does take a while to soak in. I do find the morning after using this the skin under my eye looks a lot healthier and a lot less 'black'.

The mid range product that I have been using is the Anew Vitale Eye Cream - I do like this product and tend to use it more in the morning as it soaks in really well and is perfect for putting on before applying make up. Just need to be careful that I don't get it in my eyes as it does sting quite a lot!! Overall not the best as I don't find it makes a massive difference to the appearance under eye area but it does make it feel more moisturised. It is available from Avon and is the 25+ range.

The high end product is the Estee Lauder Night Repair eye cream - I love this, I know its an expensive product and this is meant to be all about 'budget' products, however for me this was a budget product as I got it for free off my mother in law - however for me it would be worth every penny to re-purchase, not only does it leave my under eye area feeling very moisturised it also makes it look healthier, tighter and a much softer appearance. So overall my favourite product of the 3.

Do you have a favourite eye cream? Is it any of the above? Have you tried a common product like Vaseline as an eye cream and found it better than some proper eye creams? Let me know in the comments below - I would love to hear from you! 

Shell xx

Sainsburys 'Dirty Works' Range

Recently I have been a little addicted to the Dirty Works range at Sainsburys, The do everything from Bath, Beauty and Beyond. I have purchased quite a few products out of the range and as budget items go they really are brilliant. I have recently done a small review on the 'you soft touch hand cream' you can see that HERE.

I will start off with the packaging, it is very colourful, inviting and fun, would appeal to a younger audience such as teenagers and also the price makes it a lot more accessible.

A selection of the products that I have

They do a massive range of products from hand creams, body butters, to eye creams and shampoo/conditioner. I haven't yet tried a lot of the products in the range but as they are reasonably priced I'm sure I will work my way through them! 

Visit the website HERE to see a full rundown of all the products including some very nice looking accessories which I think would make lovely gifts! Brilliant stocking fillers for teenage girls and most start from around £2.50 - £2.99.

Have you tried this range yet or are you now inspired to go out and give it a try? Let me know if there are products that you love/hate

Shell xxx

Lee stafford Treatment For Hair That Never Grows Past A Certain Length

I am writing this today as I absolutely LOVE this product!

About 4 years ago I made the biggest mistake ever by getting my shoulder length hair cut really short, I immediately regretted it and spent the next year or so having to put up with frizzy unruly hair that I was so unhappy with. As it grew longer it just got worse and worse as there was no shape to it and I didn't want to get it cut as didn't want to lose any length. Now if I knew back then what I know now I don't think this would have been half as stressful as it was.

I saw a review of this on a YouTube video in about March and I knew that I needed to get this product, It is the Lee Stafford Treatment For Hair That Never Grows Past a Certain Length. A little bit pricey at around £7.99 a tub but it is the BEST thing I have ever put on my hair. I have been using it now for around 5 months. I love the smell, the texture of the product and even though it might seem expensive you do get a good amount of product for your money (200ml). 

I really think as well that it has made a difference to my hair, I stopped using it for a month or 2 and my hair growth definitely seemed to slow down, now I've started using it again I'm hoping it will have another growth spurt! 

All round brilliant product and does exactly what is says on the tin :)

If you love this product or have any similar products that are similar let me know in the comments 

Shell xxx

Little Update!

Last week I wrote a post about me possibly having PCOS (Polycystic Ovary Syndrome). Later on that day I had and appointment with the DR and got the ball rolling with a diagnosis.

Now I haven't yet mentioned that me and Lloyd are currently TTC baby no 2 and this is what has spurred me into action on getting all my problems under control and made me realise that I need to go to the Dr's. Even though the Dr couldn't diagnose any problems there and then I have made an appointment to go and have some bloods taken.

The Dr mentioned that a lot of things could be causing the problems that I have been having so they are testing my blood for all sorts of things from Thyroid Function, PCOS, Diabetes, Iron levels and Kidney and Liver function. So hopefully soon I Will have some answers.

Meanwhile I have been trying to eat a little better and get a bit more sleep to get some of my symptoms under control. I have been doing some research and started to look for some easy, simple, low carb, PCOS fighting recipes. Even if I don't have it surely anything that can help me control my weight is worth a try! So will keep you informed of anything that I give a go.

I think from now on I will do a post similar to this on a Tuesday, if there are any questions, advice or stories that you would like to share please comment below, I would love to hear from you 

Shell xxx

Homemade face Primer :)

I've seen a lot of information about face primers recently and I really wanted to give them a try but the one thing that kept niggling in the back of my mind was - can something really make my make-up easier to apply, smooth out my skin and minimise my pores and is it really worth the price!

I looked around at various brands, MUA, Maybelline, Rimmel etc and I just couldn't find one that looked like you got a good amount of product for the price. So I did what I do best and I came home, put the laptop on and did a bit of research and found a recipe for HOMEMADE FACE PRIMER- and the best thing about this was that I already had the ingredients at home.

So I set to making some and it was really very easy to do. I made it a few weeks ago and now I feel I have given it a fair trial. What has prompted me to write this today Is that I applied my make-up forgetting to use the primer and I just feel back to my old crappy, greasy and make-up sliding off my face skin.

I must say that I haven't ever used a 'purchased' primer so I don't know how different it would be or how well it would work compared to my homemade one.

So here is how I did it.....

Ingredients:
* Aloe Vera Gel (Mine is from Boots and is by a company called Banana Boat £9.99)
* Moisturiser (You can use any moisturiser you like for this but I find you need to have one that doesn't leave your skin too greasy - I used the Avon Anew Daily Moisturiser and as It was the last little bit in the pot I used this to store it in)
* Something to put your Primer in once you have made it

I started off with a large round tub, with not having any measurements of product to go by I wanted a larger tub so that I could experiment with the amounts (I ended up making far more than I needed). So All I did to make the primer was to add some Aloe Vera Gel and the Moisturiser and give it a good stir - Now I looked and searched online and everywhere said that there wasn't a certain amount of each product you need to add, so all I did was experiment a bit to find what worked best for me. I found that my skin suited my primer to have a higher ratio of Aloe Vera to moisturiser. But have a play around and see what you prefer!

The finished Product - A lovely mint colour!

I think this is a really great thing to try if you are thinking of purchasing a primer, its also nice to be able to make a product for your face and knowing exactly what has gone into it, it gives you an idea of whether it will work for you and also whether it is worth purchasing if you are just going to keep forgetting to put it on! I really love this primer and don't think I will ever be purchasing one - I love my homemade version :)

I find it keep my makeup in place all day and also gives me a really smooth base for my foundation!

*** TIP***
I also read online that you can use lip balm as a eyelid primer, I have tried this and it does give your eyeshadow something to 'cling' to, not sure if it made my eyeshadow last much longer than usual but I did feel it helped to to apply and blend it better!

If you have any other homemade beauty product, tips or tricks please feel free to comment below! I would love to hear from you.

Shell xxx

Nail Care Haul

Recently My nail care has been shockingly bad, lack of time and patience probably is to blame for this, but I have also been a little lazy when it comes to doing anything more than removing very old chipped nail polish and then re applying a different colour.

Since my nails have been so neglected I decided it was time to go out buy some stuff to cheer them up and put it to good use, so today I am going to be showing you the items I bought, I will try them out and will post a review on all the products - along with some products I will be using alongside them that I have had for a while. Also I will eventually (once I have perfected using them) do a nail care tutorial.

Even though the shocking state of my nails has kicked me into doing this there is something else that inspired me to take a bit more interest into my nail care routine (that used to be none existent). That thing is a blogger/YouTuber called Vivianna Does makeup and the video that inspired me was her DIY Manicure that is on youtube.

Enough blabbing now for the products.

So firstly I went into Superdrug and I purchased 2 products from there:

Conditioning Cuticle Oil Pen With Vitamin E

I purchased this as knowing that I was on the hunt for a cuticle remover I wanted something to use afterwards to help moisturise and this product claims to 'lock-in' moisture and also protects against brittleness and breakage and at only £3.09 it was worth a try

QVS Cuticle Groomer

This I just bought to use to tidy up my nails as they are looking a bit drab, I used to bite my nails and even though I do seem to have kicked the habit, every now and again, especially if I am nervous or bored I revert back to my old ways. It had a little blade on one side and a cuticle pusher on the other so it is a very good multitasking tool and it was only £2.99

Sally Hansen Instant Cuticle Remover 

I've seen and heard a lot about this product on YouTube recently so have kept my eye out for it in places like Boots and Superdrug, Yesterday when I went shopping I had a good look for it but couldn't find it. I decided that I would try and order it online instead. However when I walked into the B&M Bargains shop to purchase something else I thought I would have a look on the cosmetics section (sometimes you get real bargains) and would you believe it - I found this! The last one left! I was so excited to have finally found this, that I grabbed it without even looking at the price! However I then realised that it was only £1.99 - a total bargain! Very excited to try this product.

lastly I went to Boots as I still needed a buffing block for my nails and Superdrug had sold out.

Boots 4 Way Block

So I found this and thought it would be worth a try

There was a buffer that had 6 sides but thought I would keep it simple and 4 sides was enough for me! I am going to try and only use this once a month as that is all that is recommended. This was also a bit of a bargain at only £2.00

If you have any tips of tricks for nail care please let me know in the comments.

Shell xxx

Something Different!

I spent a little time today trying to think about what to write about, I thought about doing a review or tutorial type post but I decided to go with something a little different.

So instead I decided to go with a post that will begin a whole other series of posts, so as well as the usual reviews etc there will also be lifestyle posts like this one.

This is quite personal to me so I have been putting of blogging about it however as I have not yet been diagnosed with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) this post may soon become irrelevant anyway.

This is my story.

Just before finding out I was pregnant with my son Zach I was told that I may have PCOS and would most likely need help to conceive if and when the time came, little did I know that while the doctor told me this I was already pregnant with Zachary. I wasn't totally aware that there were many symptoms associated with PCOS and thought the only real issue could conception. I was told that I wouldn't need any medication or further tests at that time.

The only reason I was tested at all was because of my weight and as I was struggling to lose it even while going to slimming world they wanted to test my thyroid and a few other things. This was April 2011. After having Zach in december 2011 some of the symptoms returned and some of them are now a lot worse than before having Zach. I have been putting off going to see the Dr for quite a few months and its only now that we are wanting to expand our family that I have really taken notice of what is going on with my body. 

So today I have an appointment to hopefully get to the bottom of it. Even if its not PCOS.

Now the main reason for me posting this is because I have been doing a lot of reading on different diets that could possibly help with PCOS. I have read that Vegetarian/Vegan diets can help and also a low carbohydrate diet can drastically reduce symptoms. So I guess I am wanting some advice. I don't really know where to start or if I even have the willpower to stick to not eating much pasta and potatoes, bread and chocolate. Also this is going to be a real journey for me in terms of a drastic diet change so wanted to bring you along with me. I am going to try to post regular updates on the food I am eating, whether or not my symptoms improve and my weight loss.

Please comment below if you have any tips/ reciepes/ advice or you are going through something similar. I would love to hear from you!

Shell xxx

Rimmel Nail Polish Review!

Rimmel Salon Pro Range

For quite some time now I have had a very strange obsession with Rimmel nail polishes. Now the reason I think it is strange is because as much as I love the colour range and also most of the brush applicators I just cannot stand how fast they seem to chip! 

A few weeks ago now I purchased the new Rimmel Salon PRO range nail colour in 500 Peppermint - the shade is a lovely vibrant, minty, summer shade and It is now one of the favourite colours in my nail collection. The first time I applied it I didn't use a base coat or top coat and so I blamed this for its lack of staying power!

However last night I applied it again this time using a base coat, the one I used was the Superdrug 3 in 1 Base Coat, Ridge Filler and Growth Enhancer, I must just say that I paid about £2 for this in Superdrug and it is A-MA-ZING. It dries super quick, does everything it says on the tin and usually I do find it makes my nail colour last a lot longer than applying without! What prompted me to write this review was that looking at my nails now (less than 24 hours later) They are chipped, which does make me feel a little disappointed, however I did expect it from a Rimmel nail polish!

I do have around 15 Rimmel Polishes and I don't find any of them long lasting. They do however have a large colour range so are perfect if you are just wearing for a night out and they are also really reasonably priced, from around £2.99 in boots, superdrug and some supermarkets.

If you have any tips or tricks for making these last a bit longer please let me know in the comments!

shell xxx

Beauty products I couldn't survive without!

Here are some of the products that I use on a very regular basis, that I feel do a tremendous job of making me feel good. Some of them feel more necessary than others and some are in here because they are just my favorites! Also I may have mentioned some of them in previous posts!

So here goes:

Dirty Works You Soft Touch Hand cream

This product is a must have for me, it is by far one of the best hand creams I have EVER used, It smells gorgeous and your hands smell lush until you next wash them, it leaves them feeling soft but not greasy, its brilliant value at only £1.20 in Sainsburys. It claims to be an intensive moisturiser and contains Cocoa butter and Jojoba Oil, I just love this product and will definitely be re-purchasing!

Batiste Dry Shampoo

I put my love of this product down to the fact that I am a Mum and though I do wash my hair every other day, sometimes if we are going to a playgroup or we need to be ready in next to no time it is just so handy to put some dry shampoo on my hair, rub it in and voila - my hair looks and smells like its just been washed! I have tried a few different dry shampoos recently but the Batiste range is by far the best! Even though I have dark hair I never feel like it looks obvious that I have used dry shampoo and more importantly doesn't look like I have used talc either! I have the Original and the Tropical and I must say I don't love the smell of the Original one but it does the job! The Tropical on the other hand smells divine, I love anything Coconut and so for me this is a real winner!!

Here are the 2 current Batiste products that I own

Johnson's 24 Hour Day Moisturiser

I have been using a few moisturisers recently but have found this one the best, It is a day moisturiser so I usually use it after cleansing my face in the mornings before applying any makeup. With the hot weather that we have been having lately, there were a few days where I didn't want to wear any makeup and so this moisturiser was just perfect. It doesn't feel greasy on the skin at all and just left my skin feeling very soft and moisturised. It has an SPF of 15 too, which meant I knew I wasn't going to end up with unsightly red patches of sunburn on my face! An all round brilliant product and well worth the money!


Dirty Works Bye Bye Dark Circles

This is definitely a product that I can NOT live without, sleep deprivation, stress and everything else that comes with being a Mum, means that I constantly have big black bags under my eyes.

so far this is the only concealer I have found that actually really works! There is however a downside (or 2), it can get messy, it comes in a little pot that holds 2 shades, one dark, one light and you mix the 2 to get the shade that you feel is right, this means that the colours get all mixed up. The other downside is it is quite powdery on the skin and wipes off very easily, however I do find putting a little extra powder to set it works quite well. But the main thing is that it does a good job of covering my dark circles which is after all what it claims to do! Also another bargain at around £3/4 at Sainsburys.

I Hope you enjoyed reading this post, if there are any beauty products you feel you couldn't live without please comment and let me know!

Shell xxx

Daily Skin care routine :)

Morning

As you know I have a toddler which sometimes means that my morning skin care routine would be pretty much none existent until it comes to applying my makeup!

If by some chance I do get to have 5 mins in the bathroom without Zachary walking in and trying to play in the toilet this is what i do:

In the morning I do one of 2 things, I either use a hot cloth cleanser or use a cleanser and toner and which ever I do in the morning I do the opposite in the evening. I tend to prefer to use the hot cloth cleanser to remove my makeup. 

So firstly I lay out all the products that I am going to use, at the moment I am using the Boots Botanics All Bright Cleanser and Toner

 

I really love these products, I find they make my skin feel really fresh in the morning and are also really good at removing makeup if I was to use them in the evening. One thing I have found with some cleansers and toners is that they can really make my face sting, which is quite unpleasant, then over the next few days I will just get loads of blemishes and red patches however these do not do that. I just use normal cotton wool pads with plenty of the product - another perk of using budget products is you can use loads without feeling like its costing you a fortune!
After using these I will sometimes use a moisturiser, at the moment I have been using 

JOHNSON'S® Face Care Hydrating 24 Hour Day Cream 50ml

I really love this moisturizer  it leaves my skin feeling super soft, it is not greasy in the slightest and it has a really lovely smell, perfect for using before applying a foundation. That is it, so simple yet really effective, my skin has never really been better!

Evening

I always spend more time on my skin care in the evening, Zach is in bed and I've normally had make up on all day, so not only do I have peace to do it but I also want to make sure I remove my make up properly. I find the best thing for getting all my make up off is to use a hot cloth cleanser, I have heard rave reviews about the Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser, However is it a little out of my price range so I went in search for a suitable replacement. I found the Superdrug Vitamin E Hot Cloth Cleanser 200ml - It is perfect, I have never used the Liz Earle product but I do find this one really good at removing make up and making my skin feel really clean, soft and fresh. 

It was an absolute bargain too! The Products in the Superdrug Vitamin E range were on 3 for 2 and so at £4.99 each i got 3 for £9.98!! Less than the price of 1 bottle of the Liz Earle stuff. Each bottle also came with 1 muslin cloth - perfect!

So firstly I put a hairband on to get my hair out the way, I then take a biggish blob of product and rub it into my skin - paying particular attention to my eyes, I then wet my cloth (using the hottest water my hands can cope with) and take my eye make up off, I then take another smaller blob of product and go over my eyes once more. I then rinse my cloth and go over my whole face with the cloth, I repeat this several times until my skin feels really clean. If I ever feel I need to I will re cleanse and rinse. To finish off I splash my face with some cold water to close my pores.

I have been using E45 cream as my moisturizer in the evening lately and I find that I wake up with lovely soft smooth skin, though can leave it a little greasy, but my morning routine always deals with this nicely.

So there you have it, my very minimal but very effective skincare routine

If you have any tips/ products you would like to recommend - please comment below and let me know!

Shell xxx

This month I am loving....

             JULY

So as usual I have totally missed posting this in the correct month so I will have to play catch up!

July already seems like so long ago, the heatwave feels like forever ago and I am now missing the sunshine.

But anyway on with the faves...

The first thing I must mention has got to be my skin care routine, I have finally found products that work for my skin, I must admit that in the past I have been quite lazy with skincare. I have been using the Boots Botanics All bright cleanser and toner. They are amazing!! I am going to do a full review on these as I love them so much and may also so a skincare routine post! They make my skin soft, take all my make up off effortlessly and don't cost a fortune.

Next has got to be a make up item I have been loving and its lipsticks! I have always shyed away from lipsticks as I have never found shades to suit me, but after being brave and Purchasing a few I have found some that I love wearing. My favourite this month has got to be the Boots 17 in Beehive, its a gorgeous silky formula and the colour is very easy to wear in the daytime, even for me!

Boots 17 in Beehive

 

A blog I have been reading a lot of this month is Vivianna does makeup, I love the way she writes, very honest to goodness and down to earth, please give it a read as I think its amazing http://www.viviannadoesmakeup.com/

lastly this month I have been addicted to, Harry Potter, I know this is kinda random but It has been a massive part of my free time this month, We have watched all 8 movies and I have now started re reading all the books. I forgot how amazing the books are. I have been struggling lately to get into reading anything but as soon as I picked these back up I was hooked!

Hope you enjoyed this post, If you have been loving any of these things this month please tell me about it!

Shell xxx

Review: Sleek Contouring and Blush Palette

Today I am going to be reviewing the new to my collection Sleek Palette! I have used this a lot so thought I would share my views.

After hearing a lot of positive comments on YouTube about the Sleek brand I decided to treat myself to something. I didn't splurge and end up buying too much as I would usually do as I wanted to see how I got on with it first.

After peroozing the stand for a good 20 mins (no mean feet with toddler in tow) I made the decision to go for the Contouring and Blush palette as I have a few blushers but no highlight/bronzers. I went for the light palette as I thought it would suit me best. I purchased my palette from Superdrug and it was around £9.99.

The Sleek contour and Blush palette

Before setting out to use it I watched a few contouring videos to make sure I was putting it on correctly and also in the right places. I have to say on the first go I wasn't all that impressed, It was not very pigmented and didn't seem to stay put on my skin for very long either, also the blusher just seemed to add an odd gold shimmer to my cheeks but no colour!

However I gave it another go and the second time around it seemed a lot better. I used a different foundation to the first time (Maybelline 24 hour super stay) which has a more powder finish than the one I originally used (No7 Lift and Luminate) Which I always find makes my skin quite greasy. I have done a review of this product on here if you would like to see my thought on it. This did seem to make the product easier to apply.

Now I have been using the products on a daily basis for a couple of weeks I feel I can be honest and say, I do not love it. It is hard as I have never tried a contouring palette before, however I love the bronzer and highlighter and use them every day. The only issue I have is the blusher as to me its not a blusher! The colour in the palette looks beautiful a very deep but cheery pink, I have tried different brushes and to no avail, it just still doesn't work for me!

Swatches of the Sleek palette, from the left is the Bronzer,
 highlighter and as much colour as I could get from the Blusher

If you are wanting a good highlighter and bronzer though I would recommend giving this product a try!

If you have tried this product or have suggestions of blushers, contouring kits or any products that you would recommend, let me know in the comments, I would love to hear from you!

Shell xxx

Review: Boots No7 Match Made service foundation

So I recently went into our local Boots to purchase a 'good' foundation. By good I mean a foundation that is good coverage, is good for my skin and was slightly more that I would usually pay for a foundation in the hope of getting something that was better than my usual foundation.

I was helped by a No7 consultant that told me about the No7 Match made service so it seemed like a good idea to me. So she removed some of my make up, put a little electronic tester on my skin and told me what shade I am (Cool vanilla) She then asked me a few questions about my skin and then told me about the products that they could offer in the colour that would suit my skin and I could pick out of a few different foundations depending on your skin type as well as colour.

I chose the No7 Lift and Luminate Foundation, it is meant to help make your skin look and feel firmer, more even and brightens your complexion for a youthful glow. So as you can imagine I was very excited to try it out.

I cleaned my face in the morning as usual with a hot cloth cleanser (review coming up soon) and moisturised and then applied the foundation, I was not happy at all! The coverage was no good, it didn't cover up my uneven skin tone or make my skin 'glow', it was greasy and very sticky even when I applied powder over the top. The colour was not right for my skin at all, It left me looking a lot more orange than any of my other foundations do (rimmel, maybelline) and I was just very unhappy with it. I don't think it even made it till lunchtime on my face and by then it looked like I had never even applied anything at all!

I decided to give it the benefit of the doubt and waited a few days and tried applying it again, same results. Very disappointed with a product that I was expecting to be so good actually turning out to be so poor!
Maybe if you have dry skin it might be good, as my skin can be quite oily especially in the summer, so I may try it out again in the colder months.

However since I have heard a few people have the same issues with this product that I did and have returned their product for a different colour, So I am going to take mine back and get them to check the colour for me too. So will see how that goes.

If you have any comments please leave them below. I would love to know if any of you have had the same problems or if you love the product :)

Shell

Summer is here!!!

How exciting it is that summer has arrived, even more exciting is that it has arrived in Cumbria!

Me and my little family haven't really done much yet to make the most of the glorious weather, Lloyd was off work for 9 days and it rained EVERY DAY, however since he returned to work it has cheered up a bit, so here's hoping it continues for the rest of the week!!

However yesterday me and Zach trundled off for a little walk and picnic which we enjoyed with my Mum, Nana, Grandad, and My Brother and his wife. It was a lovely relaxing day (very hot though) I am a bit sad that I didn't manage to take any pictures, so sadly don't have any photographic memories of our wonderful day!

I have to admit that as much as I like the Summer I also loathe it just as much, stuffy, hot and sweaty, the constant struggle to find clothes that keep you cool, but keep your white bits covered up and now with the added stress of a toddler running around throwing his hat on the floor! I love though how everyone seems much happier when the sun is shining!

I know this post was boring but feel free to comment below. I would love some feedback on how you think my blog is going!
xx

30 day snap #6

 

Breaking The Rules?!

Want to know more about the 30 day snap challenge pop over to sprinkleofglitter.blogspot.co.uk and read this amazing blog!

 

So I decided today to dig deep into the archives and find a picture that means a lot to me. This is my son Zachary as new as new can be. He is being held by my Mum for this first time and it is one of my favourite pictures of Zach to date.
So I'm not sure if this is breaking the rules or not but I just love this picture!!
xx

 

30 Day Snap #5

What is he thinking??

If you would like to know more about the 30 day snap challenge visit sprinkleofglitter.blogspot.co.uk

 

This is my little boy Zach after he's just finished his breakfast. I didn't look at this picture until I put it on my computer and couldn't help but laugh!

 

30 day snap #4

Candy Hearts

 Want to know more about the 30 day snap challenge visit sprinkleofglitter.blogspot.co.uk to find out more.

I just could not resist taking a picture of my desert today. It was a kids Muller corner. The hearts are chocolate covered cereal with strawberry yogurt. I thought it looked so pretty and as most pictures so far have been baby related I tried to do something different today!

 

This Month I am Loving....

So I have decided to do a 'This month I am loving post' I will try to once a month post a blog of all the things I am loving. As we have only just entered June I am going to begin by doing a post for May.

I will included everything from food to make up to music and TV.

This month (or last month even) I purchased the NO7 Lift and Luminate foundation. I love the coverage as it is nice and light but I can build it up if I feel I need to, Perfect for the warmer weather! As they use the colour indicator to determine which shade you need the colour is perfect for me. I will do a blog post on this foundation as I am so pleased with it.

Another make up item I have been loving this month is Gel eyeliner. The one I have is by Maybelline eye studio lasting drama gel liner. I have it in black. I use it on my waterline and find it stays in place all day compared to Kohl eyeliner. I will most likely do a blog post on this as well. It is £7.99 in Boots but is well worth the money as it comes with a very handy brush to apply it with.

A food item next, This month I have lost count of how many cadbury's Marvellous creations Jelly Popping Candy bars I have eaten! They are so addictive! I have had to ban myself from buying them.

A game I have become totally addicted to and another thing I have had to ban myself from is Candy Crush! Totally addictive, totally impossible and free to download!

This month I am loving that my little boy has started to speak LOADS! He seems to be picking a new word up every day and I love hearing his little quirky ways of saying things. Like instead of saying 'juice' he says 'oose' and instead of 'shoes' he says 'ooes'. Gosh I love that little fella.

Finally this month we have been obsessed with watching 'Spartacus' the TV show. This is the second time we have watched it all the way through and I would recommend it to anyone!!

If you have any products that you recommend I try, comment below. I always love to try new products!

xx

30 day snap #3

Today we went out to my Mother in Laws, They live in a big house with lots of land around them. Zach had a whale of a time running about and enjoying a day in the sunshine. 

I could have posted another picture of Zach having fun in the sun however I decided on this instead. My Mother in Law has a passion for interior design and this is one of my favourite pieces in the living room. 

I love the colour of the shelf and the arrangement.

 

Many thanks to sprinkleofglitter.blogspot.co.uk for the inspiration for doing this challenge. please take a look at her amazing blog!
xx

30 Day Snap #2

Fun in the Sun

Today we went for a little stroll to a park nearby, we have never been before and Zach had a whale of a time.
So today my picture is of Zach (again) playing around a generally having a good time.

He loved watching his shadow move behind him and I don't think he could quite work out what it was.

If you would like to be in on the 30 day snap challenge go to
http://sprinkleofglitter.blogspot.co.uk/2013/05/the-30-day-snap.html
just copy and paste this into your browser
Let me know if you are going to be taking part, also have a look at sprinkleofglitter.blogstop.co.uk, her blog is amazing and she also gave me the inspiration to do this challenge

Thanks for looking! xx

Christening Day! :)

On Sunday my little boy who is now 17 months got christened. Not the best idea getting a toddler christened and I think if me and Lloyd are ever to have another baby we will get him/her christened a lot earlier!

It was a lovely day, the weather was as nice as we could have hoped for, the church was lovely, the vicar was nice (and didn't seen too bothered by Zach screaming the place down) Before the Christening my main worry was Zach getting upset when he was baptised in the water, however before and after this Zach screamed, during the whole pouring water over his head stage he was happy as Larry!

It was just a very small family affair with only 20 guests invited, we were going to invite friends as well, however where do you draw the line at who to invite? So we invited close friends and family and then went for a lovely Sunday lunch at a nearby pub!

Zach got spoilt rotten with all the attention, pictures and gifts (which reminds me I must do some thank-you cards!!) He had a lovely day and even though he wont remember I did get some lovely photos of him with his family which I will put in a book for him to keep! I also took an order of service from the church for him to keep. The church also gives them a candle for them to keep which one of his Godparents lit for him, so that is also a nice little keepsake for him

So this is me, Lloyd and Baby Zachary (Who isn't really a baby anymore) This was one of the times where Zach was quiet as we had been feeding him raisins to keep him happy!

As we didn't want it to be a huge fussy, party day we decided not to splash out on an expensive christening cake that would just get eaten and then forgotten about, so I found a lovely cake is Asda which said was 32 portions and it was only £8 a bargain considering a specially made christening cake to feed the same would be around £35 - £40. I did a little decoration myself, adding Zach's name and date of the christening in some chocolate letters I bought from Sainsburys and I was very happy with it!

Hope you enjoyed reading this and all my other posts, If there is anything you would like me to blog about please let me know in the comments below or if you would like me to do an OOTD post for what we all wore (which I may do at some point anyway) please let me know! Will be back later today with my Snap of the day!!
cheerio xxx

30 Day Snap #1

Today me and my little munchkin spent the day in the house doing odd jobs that have needed doing for a week or so. As you can imagine this wasn't much fun for either me or Zach but we managed to keep ourselves entertained with toys, music and colouring!

Zach absolutely loves music and he would dance all day, his dancing has the be the cutest thing I have ever seen! Another skill he has been perfecting is the topic of today's photo, kicking a ball, he's getting much better at not falling over as he kicks it and loves to throw the ball around the kitchen!

So here is my gorgeous little boy Zach, sorry about the quality of the photo, Zach was moving around too much and I wanted to snap while he was smiling!

I also realise that I am 2 days late for the challenge! But as from today I am on the bandwagon!
Thanks again to sprinkleofglitter.blogger.co.uk for the inspiration! Pop over to her blog and take a look at her amazing blog!
xx

30 Day Snap Fail!

It is now the 2nd June and I have already failed at the 30 day snap challenge I haven't uploaded anything nor do I think I have anything to upload! My little boy was christened today so the weekend has been pretty hectic! However I do not want to give up so I will be starting a fresh tomorrow!

I got the inspiration for this from sprinkleofglitter.blogspot.co.uk and I am also really looking forward to what she posts about in the next 30 days (or 28 days from now!)

I used to love photography so was hoping that doing this might give me my inspiration back as since having my baby boy I haven't really photographed anything but him!!

Tomorrow will be a pretty boring day for me and Zach but will mean I need to be even more creative!

Bring it on!!

 Many Thanks for the inspiration!!
sprinkleofglitter.blogspot.co.uk  xxx

Review: Maybelline Super Stay 24 Hour foundation

The main reason I wanted to review this product was to see if a foundation really could survive 24 hours of wear. I bought the product not because of the claims that it was wearable for 24 hours but because of the nice packaging, good colour match for my skin and the 2 for £10 offer that was on in Superdrug at the time and as each bottle usually retails around £9.19 in superdrug this was a bargain.

I decided the only way to test this fairly was to wear the foundation and only the foundation, now I think about it I'm not sure if that was the best way to do it but I have worn it many times before with other products too and as a stand alone product it does do pretty well.

The foundation I would say for me is a light - medium coverage, I have quite an uneven skin tone, however you can build it up without it looking 'caked' on which I like, the only thing I find it doesn't cover too well is the pesky bags I have under my eyes (too many early mornings). But I do have a pretty good concealer for that, I usually use either Natural Collection cover up cream (Boots £1.99) or I have recently purchased the MUA PRO-BASE conceal and brighten kit in the colour porcelain-beige and I do find this pretty good for covering up almost any blemish on my skin. 

The foundation is really nice to apply, I find using my fingers the easiest way to apply any foundation but I guess that's just because it's the way I've always done it, using a brush or sponge would be ok too. The foundation has a powder finish to it once it has been applied which is also nicer in the summer as I don't feel the need to apply a powder to set it. I did find however that after a couple of hours wear that my skin started to feel a little greasy so would have needed to apply a little powder. I checked at lunchtime and the foundation was still in place and we had been for a walk out to do some shopping, we went to playgroup in the afternoon and the room we were in was very warm, the foundation still seemed to stay in place.

By the evening however (after about 13 hours wear) when taking off the foundation there didn't seem to be much left on my skin and taking my makeup off was easy. My skin did feel very greasy just before removing my makeup and didn't have the nice soft powder finish it had when I first applied the foundation that morning. After removing the foundation my skin felt very soft rather than the dry feeling some foundations leave my with.

So all in all it is a nice product to use and I do think that for a quick application foundation (when trying to rush out the door with a toddler) and an every day wear makeup it would be a good place to start. However if you are wanting a longer lasting foundation it might not be the best to use, if I was to wear it again without any other products I would be sure to carry a little compact powder with me just to keep the greasiness at bay throughout the day!

Here we go again!

So I wont start by boring you with all my previous failed :( diet attempts. Though I don't like to say failed, that is what they are! There are far too many and all I know is they are now in the past and I don't want to think about that anymore.

I woke up this morning feeling nothing but fat! Me and the hubs had a bit of a fall out and I felt pretty glum by the time he went to work and having no desire to cheer myself up I decided now was a good time to try on the jeans I knew wouldnt fit just to make sure I was as miserable as I could possibly be!

As predicted they didn't fit and I vowed to go on yet another diet saying in my head 'this time its for good' however we all know that at least 7 times a week I have the same thoughts and as soon as coffee and cake or lunch is meantioned I am off like a shot!

Since having my little boy I haven't returned to work and therefore spend a lot of my time in the house or out and about trying to entertain a toddler, which at times can be quite hard work! He has oodles of energy right from the time he gets up to the time he goes to bed! Why this has not resulted in me being at least a size 12 by now I will never know!!

So moving on from feeling a bit poopie this morning, I am sat here trying to imagine myself in a month or 2 trying on the jeans and them finally fitting and this diet not being another one the the big fat failed attempts.

If only you could buy willpower in a jar.

A small intro!

Hi,
Very new to this so please bear with me while I get into the swing of things.

I am from Cumbria and I am a normal 24 year old female. I am a mum to my gorgeous 16 month old son and therefor do not get much free time to spend on make up and beauty etc.

However over the last couple of weeks I seem to have gotten my love of all things beauty back now that I feel like I am a little bit back to my old self again.

So this blog will feature everything, from reviews, to tips and tricks and anything else that may happen along the way.

Hope you will enjoy taking this journey with me :)

ShellB
x