BEAUTY: THE BODY SHOP HIMALAYAN CHARCOAL PURIFYING GLOW MASK



My skin has been looking a little dull recently so i've been using The Body Shop Himalayan Charcoal Purifying Glow Mask once a week for a few weeks. I have the Facial mask brush which I use to apply the mask to my face. The brush makes applying the mask super easy but you could use your fingers or even a super old make up brush would do the same job.

This mask is 100% Vegan and infused with bamboo charcoal, Green tea leaves and Organic tea tree oil. The mask revives skin leaving it looking fresh and youthful.

The mask dries really quick and tingles on your skin, I have very sensitive skin but haven't had any problems with this mask, it hasn't irritated my skin whatsoever. I have been using warm water and a muslin to remove the mask. The mask exfoliates the skin and removes any dead skin so the skin feels really smooth and soft.

I've really enjoyed using this mask, as I said i've incorporated it into my weekly skincare routine and have been using it once a week or as I need it. I feel that it leaves my skin feeling much clearer.

The Body Shop have a huge selection of different masks so head over to their website and check them out.




* This post contains pr samples, I have not been paid for this post. The post is honest and my own opinions.

PREGNANCY: BABY SHOWER GIFT IDEAS


My baby shower is next month so I thought i'd share a few baby shower gift ideas. I tried to think of a few things that we still need to get or things that would be useful to be gifted at our baby shower.

I think everyone tends to go for clothing as buying baby clothes is so addictive and you can't really go wrong. I have included this pack of 3 sleepsuits from Next. I love the baby clothes from Next, they are so soft and very affordable and they have some really on trend pieces.

We have been looking at Ollie the Owl since it came out a few months ago! I think it's such a good product that any parent would be happy to recieve for their newborn. Ollie the Owl is a light and sound sleep aid. With a built in cry sensor it's such a good gift idea for any expectant parent. It's suitable from birth and you can use on a cot, pushchair or carseat using the Velcro attachment.

Also from the lovely people at The Gro Company are grobags, I think alot more parents are using sleeping bags now as they are really safe. They have lots of patterns, prints and togs to choose from.
I know one of my friends is getting us a grobag for my baby shower and I think it's such a good gift idea.

How cute is this Emma Bridgewater mug, i've wanted one for ages but I have so many mugs, i'd love someone to get me the Mummy one, it's so cute. They also do personalised ones, and I think i'll have to buy bubba one with her name on as a little keepsake.

Finally, this changing mat is so gorgeous, it's from a brand called Mama Shack. I'm going to order it on payday as I love it and i'm gonna have it personalised with bubbas name, i'm super excited. It would be a lovely baby shower present. You don't have to have the babys name you can have it personalised with a quote or even the surname if you are keeping the name a secret or haven't picked one yet.

There's so much you could buy, don't just go from clothing as everyone buys clothes. Ask the momma if there's anything they need, incase they haven't bought something and you can get that for them, when your having a baby you have lots of random stuff you need to buy, i'm getting my sister her sterilizer as we're both having girls and she will more than likely get lots of clothes once my baby has grown out of them. You can get lots of personal gifts now too online like prints and blankets etc.





* I have not been paid for this post

FASHION: CLINT WEARS JACAMO THIS SUMMER



The summer is nearly over but we've had a few nice sunny days here in the West Midlands so don't put those shorts and t-shirts away just yet. Jacamo have a huge selection of products ready for the summer and specialise in a wide range of sizes from S to 5XL 

We've had some decent weather this Bank Holiday weekend so far so Clint went for a shorts and polo shirt combo. We had a pretty chilled day yesterday and spent the day in the garden and making the most of the sun. 

The Navy polo is the Tog24 Beckett Mens Deluxe polo shirt, I love the Navy, Red and White combo! It's also very affordable at £20, It looks and feels a lot more expensive. It's 100% heavy cotton so washes well. Clint's teamed this with a pair of ripped denim shorts  which I feel dresses the outfit down and creates a more casual look for the daytime. This top would look great with a nice pair of dark blue denim jeans and some smart shoes for a night out.

The next outfit is another Polo shirt, this Jaquard pattern polo from Black Label at Jacamo stands out with the contrasting trims, again very easy to dress up or down. A smart pair of jeans would be perfect for an evening at the pub with the lads. I think it works well with these Chino style shorts. They are a really nice smart shorts and would be perfect for the summer, they are a really good style for a holiday as they are very versatile and would go with lots of different tops and shirts. 

What are you wearing this summer? Do you like Polo shirts, I think they are very easy to wear and a great smart-casual piece to add to your wardrobe? 






 * this post contains pr samples, this post is honest and my own opinions. I have not been paid for this post.

INTERIORS: BABY GIRL NURSERY INSPO

ALL IMAGES FROM PINTEREST

AHH! Where is the time going? We are 29 weeks pregnant and our little bubba will be here in about 11 weeks and her nursery is nowhere near ready. I know this isn't a big deal as she won't be sleeping in there right away but i'd love to get it ready for when she arrives as I know time will just fly by once she's here and she's gonna be 6 months and transitioning into her room before we know it. 

First up i'm gonna keep the room very neutral overall. The walls will be staying white and the furniture is all white and we will get her a white cot very soon. Her room is a bit on the smaller size so shes gonna have a little white cot not a huge cot-bed

I'm planning on getting grey and pink accessories for the room. I'm loving blush pink right now so I want to get her a nice rug and maybe some nice prints for the walls. I love this mobile with the grey and pink moon and stars. 

I really want to have somewhere for her books to go and i've seen a few people use Ikea picture shelves as little mini book shelves, we don't have much room but I think this is a really good way of adding some colour to the room as well as having her books out without taking up lots of room with a full on book shelf.

I'm loving the grey and white and think I might get a nice set of grey curtains or a grey blind and maybe include some more grey accessories to pull the room together and break up some of the pink. 

I want to have a little changing area, we already have a set of Malm drawers in her room so we intend on using this as a changing table space. Inside we can keep all of her vests, bodysuits etc as well as some of her nappies and things we will be using everyday. We need to get a changing mat to pop on top of the drawers and then I also want some shelving that I can pop some of her soft toys and books etc on to make the room more pretty. 

I think bunting is going to be a great way for us to add some colour to the room, we rent so I don't want to go crazy and start painting the room pink but some pretty bunting will make the room more girly. 

I'm gonna get some wicker baskets to have on the floor to keep some of her toys inside so that she can easily to get them and play with her toys, I might get some of these for the living room too. They still look nice but you can tidy the toys away when shes finished playing. 

As the room is small we need to maximise the storage space. we've already bought some extra shelving and rails for our wardrobe, as we have a big Ikea wardrobe and will keep some of her clothes in here aswell as in the Malm drawers. I might need to get some storage boxes for inside the wardrobe and on top for things like dummies, bibs etc to keep them all together and tidy. 







REVIEW: PANASONIC THE CLEANSING BRUSH MICRO-FOAM 3 IN 1


I recently went along to This Morning Live at the NEC in Birmingham with Panasonic and had such an amazing day checking out lots of brands and learning about different products. As well as attending the event I was invited to head over to their stand for a complementary facial which I was super excited about. I'd just found out I was pregnant and my skin was playing up so bad, the breakouts and dry skin were very annoying.

The facial was so so good and left my skin feeling amazing. This was the first time I got to try the Panasonic Cleansing Brush and my first impressions were really good. My skin was left feeling very clean and I felt like the dry dead skin had come away which was really good. I felt really refreshed and couldn't believe that the cleansing brush was so gentle and didn't irritate my skin at all. The lovely ladies at Panasonic actually gifted me my very own cleansing brush to use at home which i've been using for a few months now.

I have to say the Louise Thomas, the lovely lady who gave me the facial at the show was incredible, I felt super relaxed and like I was at a spa not in the middle of an exhibition hall. Using the cleansing brush at home isn't as relaxing or spa-like but it's super easy to use and leaves amazing results.

The end of the cleansing brush heats up, there's two heat settings and it is perfect at melting away your make up making it really easy to sweep away using the brush end. It's easy to use, it doesn't pull at the skin and is very gentle so it's great even on sensitive skin.

The brush is super soft and gentle and I was so shocked when I felt it for the first time as it really is so so soft. The brush attachment bristles are optimised for a deeper clean to get into those hard to reach places. The brush is really gentle and perfect on all skin types even sensitive skin like mine.

If you have breakouts or your t-zone area is generally in need of a little extra tlc then the precise cleansing brush is just what you need. Perfect to target those t-zone areas, use once or twice a week to clear out your t-zone and wash away those pores and imperfections.

I don't use the cleansing brush daily as it's abit too much as I mentioned above my skin is very sensitive, even more so since being pregnant. I use the cleansing brush a couple of times a week for a deep clean, I usually double cleanse and use something like the Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish aswell. The brush is so gentle and such a lovely brush, leaves the skin feeling great, it really gets into all the little areas around your nose and my skin feels much clearer.

The cleansing brush retails for £149.99 * which I wouldn't spend on a cleansing brush, no matter how brilliant it is. I do however think this is a really good product and if you are someone willing to spend over £100 for a brush cleanser then go ahead. The product is fab and I would really recommend it as it's perfect for all skin types and it leaves the skin feeling refreshed and healthy.









* I was kindly invited along to This Morning Live along with Panasonic and was kindly gifted the cleansing brush. I have not been paid for this feature. My opinions above are honest and my own.

BEAUTY: HOW TO FAKE IT THIS SUMMER WITH RIMMEL



The summer holidays are nearly over, just a few more weeks left and Autumn will be back. I'm quite excited for summer to be over as next month is my birthday, I will be turning 25 and I am also having my baby shower next month which is super exciting! Our little bubba is due end of October/ first week of November which I'm really excited about so i've been counting down the days of summer. 

My favourite thing about summer is looking sunkissed, I love going crazy with the bronzer and highlighter to create that holiday glow! Today's post is all about how to fake that summer glow using some fab products from Rimmel. 

If you are not going on holiday then you probably won't get a sunkissed holiday glow unless you are going to fake it as the weather in the UK right now is all over the place. Here's a few tips and products you can use to achieve a gorgeous glow. 

The Rimmel Radiance shimmer brick is a really good all round product and such a bargain at just £5.99* The multi-tonal bronzing powder creates a healthy glow, it shimmers so is perfect for a sunkissed summery glow. I love that you can use a big powder brush and sweep all over for a gorgeous bronzed look or use a smaller brush and use it as a contour, using the bronzer to create the glow and highlighter to set the look and to amplify the cheeks. 

The Rimmel Insta Duo Contour stick* is another one of my favourites this summer, it's super easy to use and makes contouring so simple. One end is contour and the other highlight so you can define and enhance your facial features. Really easy to blend out and comes in 3 shade options. 

The Rimmel London Sculpting palette by Kate* is another must have this summer. This 3 in 1 kit makes that subtle summer glow super easy to achieve. Step 1 is highlight, use this to catch the light on your cheek bones, brow bones and down the bridge of your nose Step 2 is contour, the darker shade is used to define and recede areas that you don't want to emphasise like the jaw line, hair line and finally step 3 is the shimmer powder blush which adds that pop of colour. Leaving you looking fresh and healthy.

Finally for that all over glow grab yourself a tube of Sun Shimmer instant tan,* I haven't tried this yet as i'm not very good at applying tan, and honestly i'm just too lazy but the reviews on this one are really good, I like that it's a matte finish and it's water resistant so perfect for the warmer days. 

What are your must haves for that summer glow? How do you create a sunkissed look? Have you tried any of these Rimmel products? 












* this post contains pr samples, the post is honest. I have not been paid for this feature

GIFT GUIDE: GIFT IDEAS FOR HIM


In a couple of weeks Clint and I will be celebrating our 4 year anniversary. We always get each other a gift so i've been looking at what to get him. I find Clint quite easy to shop for as he's always grateful and happy with whatever I get him, I think this year he would love the new blues top as his one from last year hasn't washed great and the sponsor is coming off, so he could do with a new one. I thought i'd share a few gift ideas incase you have a Birthday or occasion coming up and need some gift ideas.

I know Clint has been looking for a new mens trimmer and this Panasonic one looks really good. This 3 in 1 trimmer allows you to shave, trim and style. It's cordless and easy to use. You can choose from 20 different cutting lengths so you can create the perfect style for you using the different attachments and functions.

You can't really go wrong with fragrance, although some people are very fussy when it comes to scents. I find it really easy to buy aftershave for Clint and my dad, they tend to like similar things. Clints favourite is Invictus by Paco Robanne which smells so good. A few of his other favourites include, Davidoff Cool Water and any of the David Beckham aftershaves.

Next up I saw this sock subscription on notonthehighstreet.com and I think it's such a good gift idea. Clint actually really likes getting socks for his birthday or Christmas. You can choose how long they receive the subscription for, I think its a really unique and cool way to gift socks.

Clint loves a Corona and would be very happy with a few bottles of his favourite beer for our anniversary. We will probably order a take away and i'll get him a couple of bottles of beer and have a chilled night in, that sounds like a perfect way to spend our anniversary.

I wanted to get him a cute gift and I spotted this key ring and I thought it would be cute to get something personalised. It's so easy to personalise gifts now. I was thinking of getting the date of our anniversary printed onto the keyring ( he can't forget the date then) or I thought getting our babies due date would be really cute, I could either put her name or we've been calling her petal so it's personal to us.


I really love buying gifts for people and have really enjoyed putting this gift guide together, do you struggle to buy for the men in your life? You can see my fathers day gift guide here for even more gift ideas for the men in your life.









*Sponsored post

FASHION: BRITISH SUMMER WISHLIST


Today's post is a British summer wishlist, we've been having some rubbish weather the past few days so I thought i'd pop a few warmer pieces on my wishlist and share them with you. As you may or may not know i'm pregnant so some of these bits are maternity wear however some bits are not and just normal sizing.

I'm loving this blush pink colour right now and I love this pink skater maternity dress from Topshop. It's just a pretty colour and would be very easy to wear, you could even wear it with tights and a cardigan in the Autumn months.
I've included this Tiba and Marl changing bag/ weekend bag as I really like it and have been looking for a nice changing bag, I like that it's black and would go well with everything. It's a really good size so would easily fit all my bits and pieces for baby inside and would be a great hospital bag. 
Next is this really cute top from New Look, this isn't a maternity style but it would go over my bump and this top is a steal! It's only £7.99 so if you like it go and order it because it won't be around for long. 
I need some new maternity jeans so i've picked out these ones from Topshop as I don't have any blue maternity jeans and I like the ripped knee and distressed look of these and they are in the sale. 
How cute are these little sandals from New Look, the look so easy to wear, maybe not weather appropriate for all the rain we've had but so cute for those warmer days. 
Another blush pink item I know!! This cardigan from Asos is so cute though, I love the colour and it looks so snug and comfy perfect for those colder days, it would be easy to throw on over some jeans and a cute t-shirt. 
Finally, it's coming up to my birthday and I usually ask for a new watch, I haven't been wearing my watches much recently but this Olivia Burton one is so cute, I love the little bee's and the grey strap is very versatile and easy to wear. 

So that's my wishlist for this month, I will be putting together another wishlist next month for my birthday month! Let me know what you think of these bits and send over links to your wishlists. 


PREGNANCY: MY BATTLE WITH ANXIETY



Today's post is very personal and a bit different but it's something that i'd like to document and I thought I might be able to help someone in a similar situation so today's post is about Anxiety, specifically my anxiety during pregnancy.


I was diagnosed with Anxiety last year, I was having problems with my blood pressure and they thought it may have been down to my contraceptive pill, I was taking Microgynon which I had been taking for many years I was put onto a mini pill called Cerazette and I really didn't get on with it. I found it made me feel abit down and sad so I stopped taking it. Around this time I was having my blood pressure checked and then I started to get other symptoms like my chest would really hurt and I was getting pain in my neck and shoulders. After a few weeks I went to the walk in and was diagnosed with Anxiety, they now think that my blood pressure was also a symptom of my anxiety. I didn't realise that Anxiety caused physical symptoms. The doctor prescribed me a beta-blocker which is a tablet to reduce your heartrate which didn't do anything so I just put up with these physical symptoms for a few weeks/months. This was a very stupid thing to do because all that happened was it all got worse. I would get myself into such a state leaving the house for work that I would feel sick and panic. I actually started having panic attacks then I knew I needed to do something, I got signed off work for a few weeks and just stayed in bed, I stopped seeing friends and wasn't myself at all.

I went to my doctors and I asked for help, I was recommended CBT which is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. I really didn't want to go onto medication, I don't have any problems with medication but I wanted to try talking to someone or a type of therapy before just going onto pills. Healthy Minds is a service within Birmingham and they provide a CBT course, this does mean that you have to sit in a room with other people but the wait for one on one sessions is so long on the NHS and I don't have the money to go private. I felt the course was brilliant, it was a 6 week course and each session was 2 hours. You didn't have to talk if you didn't want to, you could just listen but my group was really easy to talk to. I learnt ways to deal with my anxiety and why I was feeling like this and that it's normal to have some anxiety. If you are struggling with anxiety i'd say have a look into CBT and see if there's a similar course in your area, or even if you can afford to wait for the NHS or go private check out CBT before taking medication.

I felt alot better once i'd completed the course,  I felt like I had more control over the way I felt and I stopped having the physical symptoms. I honestly felt that because I could look at it logically and I knew that what I was thinking was probably never going to happen or my chest was hurting because I was getting myself worked up and I wasn't going to have a heart attack.

I found out I was pregnant a few months ago and i've noticed my Anxiety creeping back into my life, I had a meeting with a mental health midwife pretty early on and she was happy that the way I was feeling was completely normal and the level of anxiety I was showing was normal for any first time mummy-to-be. As the weeks have gone on i've found myself getting worse and again I didn't want to talk to anyone about it, I thought if I ignore it then it will just go away but it hasn't.

I find myself worrying about every little thing which I know is normal to an extent, i've never been pregnant before this is all new and different. A few examples include, the night before the scan I was tossing and turning, unable to sleep because I was that scared that they was going to tell me that there was something wrong with the baby or even that I wasn't actually pregnant. I've pretty much got myself worked up before every scan. I'm scared that something will be wrong but that hasn't been the case, shes been fine, wriggling and perfect in every way.

I finally told the Midwife a few weeks ago, I think it was at my 24 week appointment that I was struggling, that I was worrying about things being wrong with the baby. I think it's gotten worse since i've started feeling movements. My placenta is anterior which means I can have reduced movements, this has worried me a lot and i've gotten into quite a state on a few occasions because she hasn't moved for a while. We've had a few trips to the labour ward to get her checked over and each time she's been fine ( if you are pregnant and you are having reduced movements, even if you have an anterior placenta or not you should phone your labor ward/ midwife as soon as you start to worry and they will get you checked over, its better to be safe than sorry and they will check you, don't feel like you are being a nuisance or putting someone out the way. You will feel 100% better once you've heard that little heartbeat and they tell you that everything is ok)  If something is wrong this way they can monitor you and make sure you get any help you need.

After talking to my midwife we agreed that I would see her at 26 weeks instead of waiting till the usual 28 weeks, I knew that hearing the baby again in a few weeks instead of 4 weeks would make me feel a lot better and then if I had any questions etc I could ask her. At our 26 week appointment she measured my bump which they usually do between 26-28 weeks and bump measured small so she sent me straight for a growth scan which showed that she is measuring a little small. Since then we've had an appointment with a consultant who talked us through the scan and explained that we will have a few more scans and they would be keeping an eye on baby and myself. Today we had another scan so they could check the fluid around baby and the blood in the umbilical cord which is all looking good, they are going to keep an eye on this and we have another growth scan next week which will tell us if baby is growing ok, it's nerve-wracking but i'm glad they are keeping a close eye on us.

I am now seeing my midwife every week up until the birth or until I need to help with my anxiety and so she knows whats going on. She's really easy to talk to and i'm really lucky as I am very comfortable with her. I would say if you are struggling to talk to your midwife then do something about it because you need to be able to ask questions. You can phone your community midwife office and they will give you the details for a different midwife, it's very easy to sort out, (i've actually had to help my sister change midwifes and it's all sorted now and she is getting much better care.)

I am still struggling with anxiety and I know that talking to my midwife about my worries is helping, I am having another appointment with the mental health midwife and hopefully she will help abit, but the main thing I would say is have a good relationship with your midwife, talk to her about how your feeling because just having those extra appointments has helped me because I know I don't have a long wait until I next hear babys heartbeat or I can just ask the midwife next week if I have a quick question. I have also reduced my hours at work to 3 days a week which is such a big help and I've talked to my manager and she now knows how i'm feeling and I've been texting her about my extra hospital appointments etc so she knows exactly whats going on.

I hope that once baby arrives that my anxiety calms down again, I've looked back through my anxiety CBT course papers and i'm trying to look at everything logically and not jump to the worst possible conclusion and it's hard but i'm trying. Just talk to people and make sure that your doctor and midwife knows how your feeling, don't keep it all bottled inside because anxiety is hard and it's not nice but talking helps.




I really hope this post has helped or allowed you to understand more about anxiety throughout pregnancy, everyone is different and anxiety can be different to everyone. If you have any questions or need someone to talk to, i'm happy to help just send me an email or leave a comment. I'm not a doctor and i'm no where near qualified as we are all different. I just wanted to document my battle with anxiety throughout my pregnancy and hopefully this will help someone who is struggling to come to terms with their anxiety and they might seek the help they need.


REVIEW: BRAVADO BODY SILK SEAMLESS NURSING BRA



Today's post is a review of these Nursing bras from a brand called Bravado* who specialise in Maternity and Nursing bras. To be honest I wasn't very sure if these would fit me as I have very big boobs but was happy to give them a go and I thought they would come in handy for in the house and through the night if they were a little snug.

Before I was pregnant I was wearing a 30FF and i'm now 27 weeks and already wearing 34GG, i'm still wearing wired bras and having them regularly checked at Bravissimo but finding towards the end of the day they are feeling uncomfortable and I just want to take my bra off. I have been reaching for these non-wired bras whilst i'm at home so that i'm getting a little bit of support.

I opted for the Seamless nursing bra in Latte as this is a very nude shade and I though this would work well under lighter colours which it does. I like that the cups are very smooth and seamless so they are really easy to wear under t-shirts. These have nursing clips which will be perfect for when baby is here as I plan on breastfeeding. In the mean time i've been wearing these around the house on my days off or when I get home from work as they are so comfortable. The straps adjust really easily so you can tighten or loosen them to your desired length. The material is really soft and stretchy so it moulds to your shape.

I've also got the same style in the grey Yoga version which again is so so comfy and really easy to wear as it sits smooth under my clothes. You get a little lift and a nice round shape which I like as sometimes with non-wired styles I think the shape can be pointy.

I've been wearing both styles at home and i've been shopping and to my parents wearing them and honestly they are so comfy and give a little support. My boobs are big so I'm still wearing my wired bras for work and if i'm out for a while as I feel like I need that bit more support but these are great when I just want to be comfortable.

When your boobs are fluctuating it's good to opt for a non-wired bra as it's safer so towards the end of my pregnancy and when i'm nursing I will be wearing non-wired bras all the time and I would recommend the Bravado ones as they are really comfy and easy to wear. They have a good selection of colours, I would say they are practical and not that pretty but most nursing bras are very plain anyway.

Overall i'm really happy with these, the material is really soft and I think they will last well. I will probably buy a couple in the next size as I'm wearing the L and they fit me well now but I expect my boobs will get bigger towards the end of my pregnancy and when baby is here and my milk comes in properly. Based on their size chart I only needed a M so I would say to size up as I went for the L and it fits perfectly. Obviously as baby isn't here yet I haven't been using the Nursing clips but i'll let you know how I get on when i'm using this style for nursing.











* Pr sample