Oriflame Triple Core Lipstick Trend Edition - Review

One purchase I've been meaning to review for a while but just havent got round to it is the Oriflame Triple Core Lipstick. For those of you who havent heard of Oriflame they are basically the Swedish version of Avon except you cant buy products directly from their website like you can Avon, you have to go through a sales representative so products can be tricky to get hold of if you're not in Sweden. Again you can always find most things on eBay (I really should work for them promoting I rave about eBay so much!!) and I was lucky enough to know a few fellow air hostess that sold Oriflame so we'd always have a good browse through the catalogue on our tea breaks.



L-R: Coral Trend, Berry Vogue, Catwalk Red, Fashionista Pink & Explosive Pink

 Triple Core Lipstick caught my eye in particular. Oriflame claim it is "the world's first triple core lipstick fusing caring balm, passionate colour and dramatic gloss into one. The result is lips that are softer, more beautiful and more impactful than ever before." So the idea is that the lipstick is made up of 3 separate componants, an inner gloss core, a bright pigmented lipstick middle and an outer tinted balm. Think ombre effect lips...something I was very interested to see and try.

 

You can now get the Triple Core Lipsticks in the original form, trend edition and 3D I purchased Coral Trend which is one of the Trend Edition. Not going to lie, mostly because I liked the pretty floral packaging and I was looking for a nice coral shade which unusually the original and 3D ranges didn't seem to offer.

When swatched the lipstick is pretty true to colour and gives good pigmentation. You can definitely see lighter shades through it though and the shimmery gloss in the core of the lipstick is clear.

I couldn't seem to get a good photo of the lipstick on my lips, or at least one that showed the ombre effect true to life. I think it was the flash or something so I left it to the (pretty blurry!) promo shots. But honestly the lipstick really does come out like this! I am so so impressed with it. It did take a couple of layers with blotting in between to get this effect but I definitely got there and to be honest I love it! The coral shade is such a gorgeous summery colour and can be matched with pretty much any outfit.

 

The pigmentation isn't instantly great but you can definitely build up to the colour you want with a few layers. Overall the lipstick went on really smooth and creamy and lasted a good 4+ hours before I had to touch up which I definitely look for in a lipstick.

The Triple Core Lipstick Trend Edition range retail at £5.95. You can explore the rest of the Oriflame range online here

Have you purchased any Oriflame products before? Would you recommend them?

XOXO

 

** this post first appeared on my original blog Sparkle Bug which you can view here **

Maternity shop #1

So I'm not sure whether I've done well to last until 19+5 weeks until I had to buy any maternity clothing or not? I don't really know when most women find they need to buy a few extra bits and bobs but I'm pretty happy that I've lasted until practically half way.

To be honest I've always been of the opinion that I don't want to buy too many maternity pieces because with Squishy being our first, money is obviously tight. G hasn't had a lot of work throughout the winter which has put even more stress on us financially so the less expense the better right now.

I'm hoping I can get buy with a lot of my normal clothes being pretty stretchy and just from cheap places like Primark or H&M so it doesn't matter too much if they get stretched out of shape and ruined and then for my final 2-3 months I'm hoping the weather will be nice enough to live in maxi dresses and maxi skirts but we'll see.

 

I definitely think there is a shortage of stylish, affordable maternity clothing on the high street. After a lot of searching the only shops I would even consider buying maternity clothes in are H&M and New Look, mainly down to the price and lack of choice in other shops. I'm going to be going on my best friends hen do when I'm 31 weeks and the thought of finding something pretty and suitable for somebody under the age of 40 is filling me with dread already!! Any suggestions please let me know? Anyhow over the last couple of weeks these are the bits I've picked up so far...

 



Intimates Essentials Maternity Briefs (4 pack) 'Over the Bump' - £10.00 Very.co.uk

These maternity knickers are without a doubt the best thing since sliced bread! If you follow me on Twitter you've probably already seen me raving about them to anybody who will listen. I can't believe my mummy friends never told me about these babies! After reading the reviews on the Very website I bought these 2 sizes larger than I would usually go and they seem pretty perfect. There's plenty of room in the bump region for more growth but they don't fall down or dig in anywhere they shouldn't. These are honestly the comfiest things I have ever worn and are so so soft against the skin. I'm sure they'd be perfect for anyone suffering with an itchy bump or for any post C-section ladies out there as they are obviously 'over bump' and super high waisted - literally right up to my ribs. 



Maternity Black Over Bump Tailored Trousers - £12.99 New Look

To be honest I don't love these trousers but they were pretty much the only tailored work appropriate maternity trousers I could find without paying Topshop prices. One of my jobs at the moment is working events in a hotel and I have to wear black trousers (not leggings!) and a white top so I didn't really have a lot of choice but to go out and purchase these once my normal trousers got a little snug. I picked these up in a 16 and I'd normally only be a 14-16 in New Look and they are pulling a little around my hips. I'm not sure they're going to last my entire pregnancy at this rate so we'll see how I get on. I do love the large bump support and the fact that the waistband is elasticated so no zippers, buttons or clasps to be phaffing around with. They are also too long for me so I assume a 34" leg but again maternity clothes don't seem to come in many options so a shorter leg wasn't an option so I'm annoyingly having to tuck them into the back of my pumps until I get round to taking them up.

Maternity Blue Hands Off The Bump T-Shirt - £7.99 New Look (although they only seem to have Coral online now)

It's just for a bit of fun really but love this t-shirt and think it will be great in the summer when I've actually got enough bump to fill it. And lets face it if you can't get away with being rude cheeky when you're pregnant then when can you? I actually got this t-shirt in a gorgeous cobalt blue colour which I'm definitely very into at the moment but they don't seem to have it online anymore so I've linked the coral version instead. I'm definitely going to be one of these people though, it's already annoying me that people think they can just grope my tummy whenever they feel like it so god knows how much worse it will get as the bump gets bigger. I think the fact that I have always been so self conscious of my weight it just feels so unnatural for people to touch my tummy, something that would normally have me cowering & slapping them away. I obviously don't mind G touching away when ever he likes to talk to the baby! haha....but that really is about it!

 

Where did you shop for maternity clothes?

Any suggestions for nice "going out" materity clothes?

I'd love to hear from you

XOXO

Bump update - 18 weeks

Bump

 

This week bump seems to have stayed about the same size so I haven't bothered getting a photo. I still feel like I'm at the awkward in between stage of pregnant & fat but G says I'm imagining it.

 

Cravings/Weight

 

No new cravings really. I did manage to demolish an entire Freddo Easter egg AND all the mini Freddo heads in the space of ten minutes though **FAIL**

 

Symptoms/Movement

 

I've been getting pins & needles in my hands in the night which wakes me up sometimes & is abit weird but that's all that's new this week. Still no definite movement but I'm desperate to feel Squishy now :(

 

Appointments

 

No appointments this week but I did finally manage to book in for my 20 week checkup after them being fully booked everytime I call so that's a relief.

 

Shopping

I actually don't think I've bought anything new this week? ...am struggling to think now! Haha

Really annoyingly though there are loads of pink/blue bits I want from BHS as soon as we know Squishy's sex and they have all gone in the sale now!!! Am panicking nothing will be left by the time we hit the shops, I'm seriously considering buying everything in sight and then taking half back! Is that acceptable?

XOXO

Lauren's Way Self Tanning Lotion in Darker Than Dark - Review

I just realised that despite always mentioning what a fake tan hoarder I am, I'm actually yet to post on what seems to be my favourite subject! Crazy right?

Being a natural redhead with pale skin a tan has always always been something I wish I could get naturally (especially when my boyfriend pretty much goes black everytime we go on holiday *jealous doesn't even cover it!*)....but I'm very slowly and begrudgingly coming to the decision that this isn't ever going to be happen for me so I have been a fake tan superfan for as long as I can remember now. For this reason I am always looking for new fake tans to try & test, always looking for a smoother application, better smell, richer tan etc..

 

 

For those of you that have some how avoided the TOWIE phenomenon Lauren's Way is the beauty company created by one of the original stars of reality tv series The Only Way is Essex, Lauren Goodger. Although as far as I'm aware Lauren's Way only started out selling fake tan, you can now purchase dream rollers, hair extensions, big buns and false eyelashes, while fake tan is now stocked in salons nationwide. Lauren also offers an "Essex Angels" service where her team of trusted beauticians come out and get you ready for your big night out - very useful if you happen to be in the Essex area. You can find out more about Lauren's Way on the website here

Lauren's Way self tan comes in the following variations:

Medium (mousse & lotion), Dark (lotion), Glam Tan (spray), Darker Than Dark (mousse & lotion) Instant Wash Off lotion & Gradual Tan lotion. Being the tan obcessive that I am, I of course opted for Darker Than Dark. I always go for Dark tone fake tans as it is so anything that claims to be able to make me even dark than that is definitely something I was interested in. I always pick lotion over mousse (although it used to be the other way round) because I think I get more use from a bottle of lotion, might be entirely in my head! haha and I find lotion much easier to work with and rub in streak free. Again since I first started using fake tans they have come on a long way and don't really tend to streak anymore no matter how slap dash you are when you slap it on, but still better to be safe than sorry eh?

 

 

On swatching Darker Than Dark does seem very very dark but don't let this put you off. I always find fake tan appears much darker on the mitt/gloves than on the skin for some reason and once you rub it in it will be much less intimidating I promise. This tanning lotion is a rich mahogany colour which on application is so smooth and creamy. With other tans in the past I've found that you have to work the product in really quickly before it dries and is stuck wherever you put it but Darker Than Dark is really easy to work with and I didn't feel the need to hurry when rubbing it in at all. Saying that it did apply evenly without a lot of effort due to the creamy moisturising texture which is always a good thing.

My absolute favourite thing about this product has to be the smell. It is a simply amazing and exotic citrus/orangey scent which makes a very welcome change from any tanning product I have ever used in the past. My boyfriend usually hates me getting into bed with the smell of fake tan on me & in the sheets but even he admitted this fragrance was pretty scrummy. Even when tans are designed to be scented and escape the well known 'biscuit' smell I always find that once they begin to develop and have been left on for a few hours the usual smell starts creeping back in. Darker than Dark really didn't do this! On application it smelt of oranges, lying in bed it smelt of oranges and when I woke up 9hrs later to shower it off it still smelt of oranges. I was really impressed and refreshingly surprised - big big attraction to Lauren's Way in my opinion!

 

 

To be completely honest this only aspect of this tan I am slightly disappointed with is the result. When you first apply the product you are left with this rich, strong, mahogany tan and after leaving it to develop overnight (which I always do) and rinsing it off the colour fades pretty dramatically. Don't get me wrong you are still left with an awesome golden tan but the name suggests this would be particularly Dark and I don't think it's any darker than a normal medium/dark tan would be. Maybe I was expecting too much?

 

I am still very happy with the results and will definitely be using Lauren's Way products again and recommending them to my friends and family, if for nothing other than the fantastic smell. I just don't think Darker Than Dark is an accurate description of the finished look. Although I can easily apply the tan a couple of times to get my desired look I guess I was hoping for a super dark finish with one easy application.

Darker Than Dark lotion blended effortlessly, left me with no streaks or patches at all and left my skin feeling incredibly soft and moisturised which again is rare with any tanning product - definitely going to be adding this product to my drawer of go to tanning lotions.

 

Have you tried any of Lauren's Way products?

Will you be trying Darker Than Dark tanning lotion?

XOXO

 

** this post first appeared on my original blog Sparkle Bug which you can view here **

My first trimester

 

As I'm actually now quite a way into my second trimester I thought I'd touch on what the first trimester of pregnancy was like for me. I didn't start blogging my pregnancy updates until 15 weeks so missed out quite a lot up until then I guess.

Bump

Bump wise I didn't notice anything at all in the first trimester. I guess this is pretty normal for first pregnancies and I wasn't necessarily expecting to show but no changes bump/stretchmark/cellulite wise.

Cravings & Weight

 

I really haven't had any cravings that I can think of. G says I'm eating more dark chocolate and fancying certain things to eat but to be honest it's all naughty food that I probably ate way too much of to begin with so nothing new.

At Christmas time I was eating some garlic cheese spread with pickle - so maybe not entirely my usual choices, but that's about the only strange one I can think of?

My weight at my booking in appointment with the midwife was 193lbs and so far I haven't put on too much more - touch wood! I'm hoping to only gain around a stone in total so anything like that I'll be happy with.

Symptoms

 

Please don't hate me but I was very very very lucky in my first trimester. I barely had any symptoms at all. No morning sickness, not even any nausea! In the very early days I felt like I needed to go to the toilet all the time and I've had very tender boobs up until pretty recently and been living in sports bras but that really is it. I really can't complain and I know how good I have had it.

Not really pregnancy related but I did suffer terribly with gallstones a few weeks after we found out - I actually ended up at the hospital and got to have an ultrasound on Squishy at 6 weeks whilst they were ultrasounding me for the gallstones anyway. I don't know if anyone reading this has ever suffered but gallstone pain is the WORST! I literally couldn't sleep, couldn't eat, couldn't get comfy, couldn't sit, couldn't lay down...it is horrendous! During all my googling to try to find pain relief advice I've seen gall stone attacks frequently described as much worse than child birth so that thought is making me feel much better about Squishy being born!!

An attack was coming on everytime I ate and lasting from anywhere between 2-13 hours. I was prescribed medication which did nothing and I wasn't allowed the proper medicine because I was pregnant so I was pretty much stuck. My GP told me they wouldn't really want to remove my gall bladder whilst pregnant but that was a last resort if the pain didn't go away.

Since then I discovered that drinking pure apple juice can help soften gallstones and enable them to pass through the gall bladder easier so I started drinking that religiously and seriously seriously touch wood I haven't had any more pains or attacks for a couple of months now. I've actually got an appointment with a surgeon on Thursday to discuss my options but as I'm not in anymore pain I'd rather stick it out and deal with any possible surgery after Squishy is born.

Appointments

- As soon as we found out we were expecting I booked a doctors appointment and luckily managed to get in for the very next day. With it being my first pregnancy and not being able to ask anybody anything without giving it away we didn't really know what you are supposed to do? So I went to see my family GP who I've been going to since I was 2 and I guess I was expecting him to confirm the pregnancy maybe? Which of course didn't happen! He basically just told me to start taking folic acid and vitamin D and sent me off with a "congratulations on your pregnancy" pack.

- I then had to wait until I was 10 weeks for my booking in appointment with the midwife. G was actually around and able to come along as well which was nice. I think men often feel left out & like they are missing out on all the appointments, especially with our first baby he really wanted to be involved which was lovely.

Shopping

We were actually very good and managed to resist buying anything at all for Squishy until we knew everything was okay at our 12 week scan. Pretty amazing for me considering the shopaholic that I am!

Actually I'm telling a little fib, we went to Manchester for the weekend just before Christmas for G's birthday and being the huge football fans that we are we couldn't resist buying a little something from the Megastore at Old Trafford - but that really was it! I didn't want to tempt fate and buy anything really but we don't get the chance to go up to Manchester or to football very often living 300 miles away in Kent so it seemed silly not to pick something up when we had the chance.

 

Me in Manchester with our first bag of baby shopping :)

How was your first trimester? I'd love to hear about it.

 

XOXO

Baby Boy Wishlist

Last week I posted our Baby Girl Wishlist which was full of cute little pink items that we will be rushing out & purchasing if Squishy turns out to be a little lady. Obviously being the organised freak that I am we definitely have a blue list too so here it is... our Baby Boy Wishlist (I think these might be my favourites but ssshh)

1) Mothercare Whale Bay Bath Set - £29.99

Funnily enough I still haven't found a baby bath that I like for a little girl but if Squish does turn out to be a boy we will be sorted with this one. This fab set comes with pretty much everything we will need, a baby bath, sponge, bath thermometer, top 'n' tail bowl and cuddle & dry towel.

2) Kinder Valley Kai Compact Cot in Grey

- Asda £49.00

Again this is an Asda bargain, exactly the same as the pink version we picked out for a girl so I won't bore you all with the details again. The main reason we have chosen the Kinder Valley Kai cot is its compact size. Squishy's nursery is only a very small box room so this will give us plenty of space to play with for other furniture as well. Plus the colours right? I love the variety this range offers, I don't think I've come across a grey cot anywhere else?

3) Baby Boys Little Essential Bibshort Set - BHS £8.00

Hello..my names Jo and I have a problem! I am hopelessly ADDICTED to dungarees - in particular for baby boys!!

I can't be the only one out there can I? I'm pretty worried that Squish is pretty much going to be wearing dungarees everyday until he/she is at least 10.

How cute are these??

4) Converse All Star Ox Infants in Blue - JD Sports originally £30 now £20 in the sale

Just because! Who doesn't love baby converse?

5) Fisher-Price Newborn to Toddler Play Gym - Argos originally £56.99 now £45.49 in the sale

We've looked at a lot of different play mats and I think we've decided on this one. It's bright, fun, unisex so would be great to keep for any other babies in the future plus I love the giraffe & zebra at the side!

It's has lots of different light & music options and has three different grow-with-me stages so will hopefully last a little while. 

6) Come Fly With Me Moses Basket - Asda £27.97

Being an air hostess this Moses basket is a no brainer for us. I . LOVE . IT

7) Baby Boys Wadded Snowsuit - BHS originally £22 now £11 in the sale

There's just something about baby snowsuits that are so so adorable. Even though Squishy definitely won't be needing one straight away - I hope not in August anyway - we will be picking up a couple in 3-6 months. Generally the ones we have seen and like seem to be really expensive £30+ so this is a steal at its sale price. I just hope they still have it in stock should we find out Squish is blue.

So there you go, some of my favourite little boy pieces. As I'm sure you've guessed by now I'm very much a baby girl in pink, baby blue in blue girl. I know the stereotypes aren't too everyone's taste but I can't get enough of the pastel colours.

I'd love to see any of your baby hauls or any little bits you've been picking up so link them below for me to check out

XOXO

Style Crush - Michelle Keegan

 Okay so it's no secret...I think I actually may be a little bit okay a lot in love with Michelle Keegan!!

 

For any of you that don't know Michelle is an absolutely gorgeous 26 year old from Manchester who until recently played a character called Tina McIntyre in a little soap called Coronation Street (just in case you don't watch but I really have no idea why you wouldn't want to?!) and has been starring in the soap for the last 7 years. Her new drama series Ordinary Lies has actually just started on Tuesday nights on BBC1 so try to catch that if you can.

 

 

Not only to I love her but my boyfriend actually loves her! maybe a little too much if I'm honest....haha but I can hardly blame him. In September 2013 it was announced that Michelle is engaged to her boyfriend Mark Wright - star of The Only Way is Essex and I think they make a stunning couple and seem really well suited. I think the wedding is actually coming up in May so I can't wait to see those photos!!

 

 

Michelle is definitely my absolute number 1 style crush! I think she looks incredible in anything , something every girl longs to be able to say. I honestly don't think I've ever seen a bad picture of her, even with no makeup, just out of the gym in a hoody and leggings she still looks flawless.

Michelle also writes a blog for Hello magazine which is a great idea because she talks about all her favourite fashion pieces and just general day-to-day stuff like what makeup she wears or what she's been up to that week.

That's another fab thing about Michelle's style, a lot of the clothes she wears are really affordable and from the high street so you don't need to be rich and famous to be able to afford the clothes she wears. Some of her jumpsuits from Topshop are my favourites!!...if only they looked as good on me!

 

That brings me to my last point, Michelle is my total thinspiration! Her body is phenomenal!! I think a completely separate post will need to follow for you to completely understand how amazing she looks in a bikini. Most definitely a picture to stick to the outside of my fridge or biscuit tin!

It does depress me slightly that Michelle is the same height as me so theoretically there shouldn't be any reason that I couldn't obtain a body like hers so that is definitely my aim in life. As far as I am aware Michelle is 5ft 4 and weighs around 8st 3lbs so as I have mentioned in previous posts I have a long weigh to go.

 

 

I think maybe my favourite look of Michelle's is the brown aztec patterned dress (first picture in the second set of photos) but it is really really hard to chose. I love the baby blue Topshop playsuit in the first lot of pictures as well!

 

Do you like Michelle's style?

Who is your biggest style crush? I'd love to hear from you

XOXO

 

** this post first appeared on my original blog Sparkle Bug which you can read here **

Bump update - 17 weeks

Bump

All of a sudden I think I definitely seem to have a bump!.....and I'm not sure how I feel about it? For weeks I've been wishing I'd start to show, just a little bit to make everything feel more real and now the bump has arrived it's really rather strange!

I am loving being able to wear tight fitting clothes to show off little Squishy because normal I seriously avoid tight clothing so it's a nice little treat. I think I just feel a bit awkward because I'm at that funny inbetween stage where people can't tell whether you've put on weight or whether you're pregnant but I'm sure bump will grow and I'll feel better about that in no time.

Cravings & Weight

Not craving anything in particular this week that I can think of? Have been trying to consciously eat a bit healthier and lay off the chocolate.

Symptoms/Movement

- My ligament pains are finally easing off - thank god! They haven't been so bad this week but I expect they are only going to resurface with a vengeance as bump grows.

- I've been feeling so so tired! Like SO tired. I've come home from work and fallen asleep on the sofa a couple of days this week. To be fair I think this definitely has something to do with the recent addition of a second, more active job and more hours which I'm still not sure was the right thing to take on. You can read more about my work confusion in my recent blog post here

- Most excitingly.....I think I can almost maybe sometimes feel Squishy wriggling. Only teeny butterfly type feelings in my tummy, like little bubbles popping but I'm sure that must be it right? It's hard to know what to expect baby movements to feel like when you've never experienced it before.

Appointments

No appointments or anything baby related this week. I was supposed to go back to the midwife after my high blood pressure fiasco last week but to be honest I didn't feel confident with their advice after that. Plus I would never have been able to get an appointment at such short notice - my midwife only works 2 days a week and books up months in advance!

Shopping

We haven't had  a lot of money this week because G didn't get paid last week like he was supposed to so we hadn't bought much - only a 12 pack of the Asda Little Angel Sensitive Cotton Soft Baby Wipes when we went food shopping (SUCH good value at £6 and can be used from birth now!)....but then I discovered Very.co.uk did some nice baby bits and placed an order late last night (I seriously regret opening an account with them. Buy now pay later is SO dangerous:

Chicco Go Carrier

4-pack of Maternity briefs

Ladybird Unisex 4-piece Stars & Stripes Set

Ladybird Unisex Sleepsuits I Love Hugs (3 pack)

Ladybird Unisex Sleepsuits Twinkle Twinkle (3 pack)

All those bits came to just under £50 and I had a £20 off voucher so for under £30 I was pretty happy.

My nan & grandad came to see us at the weekend and bought us some cute little unisex bits as well which was lovely.

Again I am determined to get some hauls up this week - I have been RUBBISH!

XOXO

My first baby

It's just occurred to me that I should probably mention and explain the first baby in my life.

Introducing Marley ......

Okay so he's not actually that small anymore because he's now 15 months old but he's still a cutie.

Marley is the first pet that me & G have owned together. G's mum still has two little Bischon Frise dogs (Jack & Howie) and they were lucky enough to always have a dog in the house growing up. I however was not! I have always loved dogs but was never allowed one. My mum spent our whole lives telling my brother and I that she was allergic to animals - but we were allowed rabbits? & then finally we got to an age where we realised she was actually a big fat liar, had her OWN dog as a child and actually just didn't like animals so that was that.

One of the first things on my list of things I wanted to do when we moved out was get a puppy - a girl cavalier King Charles spaniel puppy, who would be orange and white to be precise and to call her Minnie. Since our first home was a new build flat a puppy was neither allowed or practical but a year later when we moved into our current 2-bed house a new addition to the family became top of my list.

We went to see Marley & his brothers and sisters in early January 2014. When we arrived all the little puppies were crawling around and were so SO cute but Marley definitely chose us. He was the most adventurous puppy by far, crawling over to us, having a good old sniff and a cheeky little nibble of our ankles. The other puppies weren't as outgoing and brave so we were instantly drawn to Marley. My dreams of an orange and white girl puppy went right out the window and I didn't even care!!

 

Just over a year on from when we first brought Marley home I love this puppy more than I ever even thought was humanly possible! Something you can't explain to somebody who has never owned a dog I guess but he honestly is my little best friend.

He follows me everywhere, snuggles up with me at night, has his own little personality and likes/dislikes. Even something as simple as being in the house on my own when G has to work late or through the night is so much more enjoyable now I have a little puppy to share it with.

 

Do you have any pets? I'd love to hear about them & see pictures if you do?

XOXO

How much is too much?

To be honest I wasn't sure whether I wanted to blog about this because I know it's a touchy subject and something that some women don't have a lot of choice with, but I'm struggling to find a balance with how much work is too much?

Since falling pregnant I have found myself in a pretty unusual situation with my work life. I'm an air hostess, which is amazing and a job I absolutely love, but unfortunately due to what I can only assume is EU laws I am unable to work whilst pregnant. Nobody within the company really explains to you why this is and air hostess' in America fly right up until their maternity leave begins a few weeks before the baby is due (as you would with any other job I guess) but for some reason here in Europe it's not the done thing and you have to declare you're pregnancy as soon as it is realised and from then on you are "grounded" until the baby is born.

Now usually in this situation air hostess' would go and work in the office Mon-Fri during this time but again I am in an unusually predicament that because I am an international long-haul dolly I am lucky  that I am able to manage living a long way from the airport and commuting for each flight as I tend to be away for a significant period of time each shift. Unfortunately this means it simply isn't practical for me to drive a 2-3 hour each way commute in rush hour Mon-Fri so subsequently I am grounded at home on my basic salary until Squish comes along.

Now I know no work would be some women's idea of heaven especially during the first trimester when sickness plays a big part. I know how extremely lucky I was not to suffer with that! But believe me after a few weeks with Jeremy Jyle and no-one but the puppy to talk to I was beginning to go stir crazy!

The upshot is I have taken on some temp jobs in the meantime a) for a little extra cash. G is a builder and has had a very quiet winter which has been super stressful for us, especially now I am on a reduced wage through no fault of my own and b) mostly to keep me busy and out of trouble. 

What started off as a little temp job two days a week sat down in a travel agents office has now turned into 2 temp jobs, waitressing, bar work, 37.5 hour weeks and the option of plenty more hours if I want them. And now I'm beginning to feel a little silly....

When I signed up for all this extra work I was feeling fine - fresh as a daisy in fact- I still am really. I really can't complain and have had an amazing pregnancy so far but I'm definitely finding myself coming home with NO energy now. I get in, put my feet up and already dread the next shift 'x' amount of days away.

I don't want to mess people around and pull out of shifts I have agreed to but obviously I don't want to over do it and keeping Squish safe and healthy is my absolute priority over everything else.

I know lots of other women work 37.5 hour weeks (some more I imagine!) right up until they go on maternity leave and I feel silly moaning about it but I'm torn between listening to my body and listening to my head here!

Has anybody got any advice re working hours and pregnancy? Did anybody else reduce their hours as they got further along in the pregnancy? At which stage?

Any advice would be so appreciated.

XOXO

DVA Beautique Natural Eyelash Extensions - Review

Not too long ago I found a great deal on Groupon for eyelash extensions with DVA Beautique at Westfield Stratford and today was the day I'd finally managed to get an evening appoinment and was booked in for.

I had never heard of DVA Beautique before I booked but after doing a little research I discovered they are one of those pop up stalls in the middle of the shopping mall where you can get your eyebrows threaded, lash extensions, lash tinting and semi permanemt makeup. They have a branch in the Westfield Stratford shopping centre and one at Westfield City (Shepherds Bush).

The Westfield Stratford branch that I went to is located on the first floor by La Senza and H&M. The stand was busy which I always think is a good thing and a nice lady seated me and gave me a new customer questionnaire to fill in - questions re any allergies and such.

Now I bought the deal which gave me their Natural eyelashes which are normally £55, I paid £19 so was considering it as quite a bargain. 

As it turns out natural lashes are much more natural than I imagined. There are no photos of natural lashes on their website, only the standard full set which was a bit misleading and to be honest I am one of the girls that likes big lashes, the bigger the better so I was already assuming anything that used the word natural wouldn't be to my taste.

The lash extensions took around 15mins to apply, as advertised and I would say an extension is applied to every 3rd or 4th lash, rather than every single one like you would get with a full set of eyelashes. I do however still like the overall outcome and for a natural everyday look these lashes are perfect. I would say my eyes now look like i already have a couple of layers of mascara on and a little bit longer - when I actually can have no eye makeup on at all. I'm finding this really handy day-to-day and to be honest I can get away with being abit lazy and not having to do my eye makeup on the train every morning like I have been doing previously. 

The lashes have been on for a couple of days and are still going strong, I don't think I've lost a single one yet but I will keep you posted on that. They are supposed to last up to 2 weeks so we shall see. In comparison to other semi-permanent lash glue I have previously used I am hopeful though. These do seem very stuck.

With lash extensions on the left - before lash extensions with no makeup on the right

 

If I was going out for the night I would apply more lashes and makeup but as I said I do like the over the top fake look.

Ultimately do I like these eyelash extensions? YES. Were they worth £19? Most definitely. 

Would I recommend DVA Beautique? Absolutely. Check them out for yourself here

 

Have you tried eyelash extensions? Any hints or tips for me?

XOXO

** this post originally appeared on my previous blog Sparkle Bug **

Baby Girl Wishlist

Now as you know we don't actually find out whether Squishy is a boy or a girl for a couple more weeks but I thought it would be fun to show you a few of the bits we have our eye on for each scenario....today it's baby GIRL wishing!

1) Baby by Chad Valley Deluxe Pink Bouncer - Argos £22.49

We've already got the swing from this same range & are really impressed with it so far. We just can't seem to decide whether to get a bouncer as well as a swing? Is it a waste of money having both?

2) Baby Girls Heart Print 2.5tog Sleepbag - BHS £14.00

I love love BHS' current baby range. It is so cute and full of heart and star print items which are my favourites. This Sleepbag is really snug & soft and even though it will probably be a little too warm for Squishy straight away, being due in August, I think we'll get it in a bigger size so it will be all ready for Winter.

3) Kinder Valley Ellie Elephant Moses Basket Pink - Asda £26.95

As finding out we are expecting Squishy was a bit of a surprise we weren't exactly the most prepared parents-to-be so we've definitely tried to stick to a budget where we can.

I've been really impressed with the variety of Asda's baby department, there are some really cute items that all seem to have great reviews and of course as expected are at a very reasonable price.

Elephants are my favourite animal ever and we definitely have a bit of a theme going on with the items that we've already picked up for Squishy. This Moses basket would fit in perfectly!

4) Kinder Valley Kai Compact Cot in Dusky Pink - Asda £49

Again being from Asda this cot is amazing value for money. Squishy' nursery isn't a very big room so we were pretty restricted with the furniture we could pick, as this is a space saver compact cot it will be perfect.

Even though it won't last Squishy as long as a regular cotbed would it's cheap enough that we will still be saving money even if we have to buy a toddler bed at 18months. Most of all though I LOVE the colour of this cot, the Dusky Pink is just gorgeous and so unusual!

5) Mothercare Spotty Pull On Boots - originally £7, now £4 

Probably not suitable for August time so we'll have to buy in a larger size but these little polka dot booties are just adorable! *heart melts*

6)  Mothercare Leopard Snowsuit - £32.00

Even though Squish is going to be born in the Summer I just can't resist. Obviously we'll be buying in 3-6 months but I can't wait for cold days when this will come in handy. Snowsuits in teeny sizes have to be one of the cutest things ever right?

So there you have it, a few bits in hearting over at the moment. And there's me thinking I'd prefer a boy? Haha

XOXO

Bump update - 16 weeks

Bump

I still don't really feel like I'm showing that much personally but other people are starting to disagree. G says I definitely have a low bump and in his words "look like I'm smuggling a giant egg" (men eh?) and G's mum actually commented today that it's the first time she has seen me actually with a dinky bump - I got all shy & embarrassed! ha!

Cravings & Weight

- Still totally addicted to Mini Eggs which I feel like I should make the most of because they are sure to disappear after Easter right?

- Also loving Pink Lemonade this week and I hardly ever drink fizzy drinks so that's a little strange. Haven't weighed myself this week and the midwife didn't weigh me either so not too sure but I'll update when I can.

Symptoms

- High Blood Pressure (apparently! I'll get to this in a minute)

- Ligament pains are back with a vengeance, I pretty much can't move from the sofa once I get settled in the evening but G did make me a lovely hot water bottle last night which helped at the bottom of my back.

- Actually feeling a tiny bit sick for one of the first times this morning but I hadn't eaten so I don't think that helped. No actual sickness so still pretty happy.

Appointments

So I went to the midwife last Thursday for my 15 weeks check-up (which had actually become my 16 week check-up). The started off by telling me I will need the glucose intolerance test at 28 weeks because of my BMI, which I expected but am definitely not looking forward to. Then pretty quickly things went downhill. I've actually been seeing the senior midwife along with a junior midwife at each appointment which I don't mind at all, everybody has to learn somewhere, so the junior midwife took my blood pressure manually as the machine wasn't working and then pretty quickly both midwives were freaking out and saying it was exceptionally high for my early stage of pregnancy and that I would probably have to go onto some medication. Now obviously this wouldn't be ideal and I'd rather not have high blood pressure but as long as it is monitored and controlled and isn't going to be an issue to the baby I wasn't too worried.

I then pretty quickly was rushed up to my local hospital without anybody really explaining why I was there or what was going on which naturally scared the hell out of me! In the end I ended up staying in for nearly 3 hours and having my blood pressure taken every 10 minutes during which time every single reading (apart from the very first one when I got there) was completely normal and a good 30-40 less than the midwife had read it at.

To cut a long story short the hospital were happy that my bp is absolutely fine, took some bloods (which also came back fine) and sent me home but I'm now really worrying that my midwife is a little bit retarded and excessively worrying me for no reason, which I really could do without at every appointment from now until my due date.

Has anybody else had bad experiences with their midwife? I know it sounds ridiculous but I'm really worrying she doesn't know what she's doing?

Shopping

I had a lovely day shopping with my mum on Friday & we bought a couple of bits, again I'll try and get a haul post up soon I just haven't had a chance to take all my photos:

- I got a fab maternity tankini for our holiday in June - I'll be nearly 7 months so am assuming I'll have a pretty large bump by then! It was £25 down to £7 in the sale in Mothercare.

- Mothercare changing mat - Grey Stars

- This super cute Sesame Street sleeping bag although we got it from TK Maxx

- Some more short sleeve white baby gros

- A white blanket

- And absolutely most exciting of all - which will definitely be getting it's own post - we bought our Babystyle Oyster 2 Pram

XOXO

Seventeen Stay Time Foundation - Review

I'm really not sure how it has taken me so long to get this review up because I cannot stop raving about this product!! You may have already seen my review on Seventeen Brow's That brow kit which I was thrilled to received for free because I spent over £8 on Seventeen products, one of which was their Stay Time foundation which I have been dying to try out for ages after hearing nothing but good things!

Stay Time is Seventeen's latest foundation release and is designed to be a full coverage foundation - which although I probably don't always need full heavy coverage I simply love the look of and my aim is always to create a totally flawless matte finish. "Dewey/glowing" skin is definitely not for me!

As the name suggests the whole idea of this product is that the foundation stays in place for a long long time, and boy does it! I really am so impressed with the staying power of this foundation. I always feared I would never find a foundation that lives up to my beloved MAC Studio Fix Fluid in the longevity stakes and I've never found a drug

store foundation that can last an entire night out without needing to be reapplied....until now! Seventeen claim that Stay Time can stay put for up to 25 hours, now I don't know about that because I don't tend to leave my makeup on for that long but it definitely stays put perfectly for an entire day/night which is plenty long enough for me.

The formula of the foundation is very thick and gloopy, which in my eyes is a good quality and usually means it will give the full coverage look that I like. It does dry pretty fast once applied so you do have to work it in quickly and use a little at a time. I have only been using the foundation on its own, with no primer underneath because I think my face may feel a little too heavy and overloaded with product (and that is definitely a first for me to say!) if I did use primer too, but I can only imagine the foundation would last even longer on the skin and appear even more flawless than it already does if you did chose to use a primer.

 

A feature that I absolutely adore with this foundation is the twist/lid/lock feature (not sure what to call it really?) but basically when you aren't using the product you twist the lid and it becomes locked so that the pump cannot be used and no product can be lost in your handbag! - another pet hate of mine where drug store foundation is concerned. Not to mention that having a pump to begin with is a nice perk these days as I do hate having to purchase a MAC pump separately with my Studio Fix, you would think that spending £21.50 on foundation would warrant a free pump but apparently not?

 

I purchased Stay Time in the shade Fair which actually is in the middle of the scale. It is also available in Porcelain, Soft Ivory, Natural, Biscuit & Honey

 

I would 1000% recommend this foundation if you like a flawless finish and full coverage. It is definitely my new Studio Fix replacement for when my bank balance can't quite stretch to MAC.

Stay time can be found in all drugstore for £6.49

 

Have you tried Stay Time?

Have you found any other full coverage/long lasting drug store foundations?

XOXO

 

** this review was first posted on my previous blog Sparkle Bug here **

South East Baby & Toddler Show

I don't know about you but one of the first things I thought about when we found out we were expecting (after the initial shock & excitement set in of course) was all the shopping we would need to do for the baby. Especially as Squishy is our first!

One of the first events we were drawn towards was the official Baby Show, which actually took place in London last weekend. For various reasons we didn't end up going, the cost just worked out too much for us at the moment and we still don't know the sex of the baby so felt we'd be pretty restricted on what we could buy.

We did however come across the South East Baby & Toddler Show which take place at Sandown Park racecourse in Surrey and seems to be a much better fit for us. It's nearer to where we live, easier to get to, tickets cost less and most importantly it isn't until mid-April so we will know whether Squishy is pink or blue by then so naturally we booked up to go straight away.

Even though we have already picked up the odd bits & bobs for Squishy I'm really excited for the serious shopping to begin once we know the gender and I can't wait to start getting our baby pink or baby blue nursery all together.

If you are interested in coming along Groupon have an amazing deal on at the moment offering a massive 45% off tickets, making them just £12 each.

Be sure to book up quick because this deal is for a limited time only and I'm sure tickets will sell out super quick! 

You can find all the details here

Have you been to any baby shows? What baby show bargains would you recommend we pick up?

XOXO

Bump update - 15 weeks

Most days I definitely feel like pregnancy is going super super slow and dragging for me personally - really haven't I been pregnant for 3 years already? - but then when I see the title of this post 15 weeks does seem quite far in really! Eeeek!

Bump

To be honest bump is still pretty non-existant, which is definitely making me a bit sad by now. I'm wishing the time away until I actually start to show properly and there won't be any confusion over whether I'm pregnant or not, but I'm sure I'll look back and laugh at this when I'm overdue, swollen and hot with a massive bump all through June, July and August.

The bottom of my tummy is definitely hardening slightly and G says he can see a little bump but I'm not sure.

It's moments like this I definitely regret being a podge before I became pregnant, I'm sure I'd have a neat little bump by now if I was skinny!

No stretchmarks yet and everything is still looking as it did before.

Cravings & Weight

I'm not sure whether I'm actually experiencing any "I must have it right this second or else..." cravings but I'm definitely loving certain things more at the moment, obviously the naughty things that I shouldn't be:

- chocolate....daily! Which I'm not sure is a new thing but me & Squishy certainly get upset if G won't go to the shop and buy us any in the evenings. In particular Mini Eggs!

- tuna melt Panini's from Costa, I don't know why it has to be these particular ones but it just does. I'm trying to lay off these though and restrict the amount of Tuna I'm eating to stick to the recommend.

I've now put on 3.75lbs total so pretty happy with that so far.

Symptoms

Touch wood I know I have been so so lucky but still not a single symptom to really moan about.

- I know I sounds ridiculous because I'm lucky to be in the position that I am where I am only working 2-days a week at the moment - and obviously lots and lots of women work full-time when pregnant - but I'm noticing that I'm exhausted when I come home from a work day. Like can't keep my eyes open tired.

- Ooooh just thought of another one, over the last 2 weeks or so I've been getting bad pains in my lower back and stomach. Nothing unbearable or to worry about (so I'm told) but just like I've pulled all my stomach muscles and it hurts when I try to get up off the sofa or when I sneeze and laugh. I've done some self-diagnosis googling of course and these pains are pretty normal for this stage of pregnancy. Some kind of ligament pains where everything in and round my uterus is just stretching and making way for Squishy.

- I'm also becoming a bit of an acne face which isn't fun. Especially for someone that rarely gets spots usually.

Appointments

Nothing particularly baby related this week. I was meant to see the Midwife for my 15 week check-up but they messed up the appointment booking so I'm actually going towards the end of the week now when I'll be 16 weeks instead.

Shopping

Quote a productive shopping week for Squishy! This week I picked up some serious bargains:

- Tommee Tippee Perfect Prep machine

- Boots had a great deal on a pack of 6x Tommee Tippee bottles for £12.99 RRP £25.99

- Maxi Cosi Pebble 0+ car seat

- Baby by Chad Valley Deluxe Swing

- Baby Gap also had a mammoth sale and I couldn't resist some more clothes

I'll try & get a post up with all the little bits we've been buying later this week.

XOXO

Why Squishy?

Image: Google Images

So first things first, I feel like the name of my blog needs some explaining....

Basically I'm Me, my boyfriend of 10 years is G (officially Grant I suppose!) and our little baby currently cooking in my tummy is known as Squishy!

I'm not exactly sure where the nickname Squishy started from but it definitely seems to have stuck. I love the quote from Finding Nemo where Dory finds the baby jellyfish and calls it Squishy so I guess it stems from that a little bit.

Plus even though I'm not really showing yet (famous last words - I can almost feel the bump expanding as I write this) I think where I was a podge to begin with, a bump is starting to form and go a little bit harder...it was just squishy to begin with.

So there you have it, Squishy, G and Me has been born!

XOXO