Being a MOTHER

My head is pounding, I just watched the last episode of the 2nd series of Mr Selfridge, poured my eyes out... Don't want to spoil the end for some who haven't seen it yet! And then to add to my emotional roller coaster The Hoarder Next Door accidentally reminded me how important the role of a MOTHER is! So lets get to the point!

I come from a ''normal'' loving family, my mum has sacrificed A LOT for me and my brother! She is one of the most selfless and most amazing mothers I know! A few years ago she was diagnosed with cancer... Thank goodness her surgery has been successful and she is cancer FREE now. I remember holding her hand, while she was wheeled through the corridors of the hospital to the operating theatre... I never felt so alone and helpless. All I could think of is myself! What is going to happen to me if she doesn't wake up??! I do feel ashamed about it now. Anyway that was a very sad and unsettling time in our lives and I am thanking God she has made a full recovery and everything is settled again.

I only really fully started appreciating everything she has ever done for us and still is doing for us after I myself became a MOTHER. It was the most overwhelming and amazing feeling in the world. Feeling those tiny movements in my belly...right under my heart. This little person has stolen my life forever, even before she was born! The immense rush of love as soon as she was born, I knew my life belonged to her now! And then I also realised how important my mum is in my life, and how much appreciation I have for everything she has done for me.

Being a stay at home mum and being able to spend all my time with my daughter has been amazing but tough as well. I think most mothers would agree that as lovely it is to see your children grow up, it is also daunting. I wouldn't have changed it for the world as it seems to me like the time is passing so quickly at the moment, I want to grab every moment and drink it to the fullest. I do have days where Annabell will be in a funny mood and we will have a tough day, but then I take a breath and look at her and the love I have for her just spreads through my body and completely takes all the problems away!

She is growing up so quickly, I also need to learn how to let go. She goes to pre-school now. It feels very strange leaving her there, where she is a completely separate entity from me, no longer needing me. My perfect little human! But when she is hurt or in danger, or someone tries to mess with her (as it has happened at one of our local play centres) a wild lioness wakes up in me. The strangest feeling...like I've never experienced before. It feels like something wakes up in me, and I will protect her no matter what. I am not scared of anyone, of what they think of me. It is my child I am protecting and I will until I die.

When she gets sick, I often sit there with her, hold my hand on her head and wish all of it could be sucked out of her and passed onto me. I never want to see her suffer, or be ill, or cry not from laughter.

Poor quality picture taken on my phone, but I think it captures what I am trying to say in this post. Unconditional and selfless happiness and love.

When you become a MOTHER you become completely selfless, your priorities are no longer. It is THEM and their needs that take precedence!

Being pregnant again, this time fills me with happiness again but also a worry. I enjoy every single movement from my unborn baby, especially that I know it is the last time I will be experiencing this feeling... But also I worry about...myself!!!! I don't want anything to go wrong, so my daughter is not missing her mum and she can rely on me throughout her life. I want to be her best friend, who always is there to pick her up when she needs help.

I suppose what I am trying to say as well is that it doesn't matter if you loose your patience and shout at them occasionally, or are there to discipline and teach right from wrong. Nothing can ever substitute a mother, and I realise that NOW.

Recently I have been an emotional wreck, and I don't know why...I put it down to my pregnancy hormones:) But I just needed to write this post to offload all the emotions and thoughts of my chest and my mind.

I guess this is it from me now. Don't forget to tell your mum how much you love her and thank her for everything... not just on Mother's day!

xxx

Make up UK & US haul. What is new at the drugstore?!

Goodness knows why I purchased more things again??!! I think it's just too tempting not to when you have 3 for 2 offers everywhere you go and beauty goodies packed so nicely in the juicy colours of spring! I was a naughty girl but as I don't treat myself to any new clothes I thought I am allowed to spend more money on make up;)

So here are my little finds!

So firstly on my list was Superdrug and some budget lipstick buys. Beauty UK and Collection has some gorgeous shades out which I simply had to buy! Especially that there was an offer buy one get one half price! From the top left Beauty UK: 03 Snob (dusty pink nude in matte), 07 In The Buff, 10 Passion & 17 Plumalicious. Bottom row is by Collection Deluxe: 02 Tallulah, 04 Speakeasy, 01 Prohibition. All of the colours are gorgeous and very creamy except Snob that is a matte finish. 

Then browsing for some new spring clothes for Annabell I stumbled across a make up display in H&M! I picked up 3 Lip Tints and one gold liquid eyeliner. From the top Hot Pink, Raspberry Red & Deep Red. They do remind me of Lip Tars by OCC and Sleek Pout Paints , but I haven't had a chance to test them yet so not sure about the staying power! 

And then for my US crazy lipstick haul! Most of the things you see below have been ordered from drugstore.com and delivered to my friend's address who lives in America, as they don't ship internationally! 

 But up first is the package from nyx.com! Just savour those beautiful colours of the packaging!! 

I got some new lip butter lipsticks and lip glosses and to accompany those 3 lip liners! 

So from the top left to right are Butter Lipsticks: Pop, Sweet Tarte, Razzle & Hunk. 

In the middle are Butter Glosses: Strawberry Parfait, Sugar Cookie & Raspberry Tarte. 

And bottom row are 3 lip liners in Soft Pink, Hot Pink & Plum.

I love the colours and formulas, pigmentation is great as well and packaging deserves A+!

Next up are goodies from L'oreal and Maybelline. On top are L'oreal L'Extraordinaire Liquid Lipstics in colours 104 Dancing Rose, 201 Rose Symphony, 106 Fuchsia Orchestra & 403 Purple Prelude. I ordered them as in the US they have much bigger colour selection! I love the formula and pigmentation, they don't stay on your lips for ever but I still love them! 

Bottom row is a little but sad a there are only two Maybelline Color Sensational Elixir lipglosses, but after hearing lots of positive feedback about them I was just curious to try them out! So from left to right we've got 010 Celestial Coral & 030 Raspberry Rhapsody. I fell in love with the packaging as it's shaped like a lipstick in a clear rectangular clear case! 

And last but certainly not least are goodies by Milani. Oh my gosh do I love Milani or what?! I really do wish they carried this brand in the UK as well! So I got two lip products that have recently came out and on top you've got Milani Lip Intense liquid lip sticks kind of things. From th left: Fiery Coral, Pink Rave & Violet Addict. These are gorgeous, not only stay on the lips for a long time, they we so vibrant and easy to apply! Certainly my favs!! 

And then the bottom row are Milani Power Lip stains, from the left: Creamy Cafe, Macaroon, Mango Tango, Pink Lemonade, Raspberry Tarte & Cabaret Blend.

I love the colours and the fact that the product in itself is quite small and not too bulky ideal for a small make up bag on the go! The staying power is fantastic as well and colour selection. Unfortunately the reason why I wouldn't repurchase this product is because of its packaging. It's a twist tube with a brush at the end. You never know how much product to squeeze out and it's more difficult in my opinion to distribute it around the lips. 

I also have got some other bits and bobs which you can check out in my video on you tube! 

xxx

Spring make up tutorial ''Prism eye look'' using Neve cosmetics palette

After those horrible months of winter in the UK we are finally exposing our pale bodies to some sunshine;)) This weekend is supposed to be very warm as well, so inspired by (hopefully) quickly approaching spring, here is my spring inspired make up tutorial!

I know to some it may seem excessive and no, I don't wear bright make up like this every day. I do prefer bold lips to bold eyes, but I just couldn't resist the colours in this palette! They are super juicy, I really love all the colours from the palette, it is a plus they are absolutely humongous in size and for the price you can't really go wrong! They are also vegan and paraben free which is always a plus and extremely pigmented. I got it from cutECOsmetics website and the palette there retails at £21.95. I suppose all I wanted to say is that I couldn't be happier!

I know Urban Decay has released their new Electric palette (does it mean I am bang on the colourful eyeshadow trend? haha) and I was tempted with the vibrant colours they offer, but after seeing some reviews online and full spectrum of colours I will definitely give it a miss but I am happy I purchased Neve one instead!

Please check out my video on how to create this prism look:))

xxx

Sephora shipping internationally, including UK!!!

So I think every beauty obsessed person in the UK was happy to learn that Sephora started shipping internationally including the green gables of England!

I know I certainly was excited as this means I don't have to bother my friend in America any more to buy some things on my behalf!

But before we count our chickens here is a few things to consider and take into account, the stuff that isn't clearly stated on the website!

So not only there is a restriction on items considered ''hazardous'', which I kind of understand for obvious reasons (there have been restrictions applied by Royal Mail as well not too long ago!), but what really shocked me is that not all the brands are available to purchase...
It is a slight disappointment as for example I wanted to try some products from Josie Maran or Tarte and at the end of the checkout it told me that those were not available for me to purchase:/

After just about getting over this little disappointment, I then discovered that the ''flat'' shipping charge was excluding tax charges!

So I think it is slightly deceiving to say the least. I also wonder if you need to pay any custom charges as recently after receiving a package from the US I was asked to pay almost £20 for custom charges and admin fees!!!! I am most certain that the person from FedEx told me that if the package exceeds certain value amount the fees do indeed apply. 

I'm not sure if all that hassle and extra hidden charges are worth the effort and all that money. I am having second thoughts about it. I might as well save my cash and spend it on luxurious items that are available here. 

Let's not forget that even though stock might be very limited some of those products are available online in the UK.

What do you think about it all? 

xxx

Huge collective haul UK Boots, US Makeup Geek & Coastal Scents

I have been doing a little bit of shopping online and in Boots lately so please check out my video to see what I got!

There are a few skincare products and lots of lovely make up from the US! 

xxx

Glossybox February 2014! Surprise!!

Hello, hello!! Is it the bestest Glossybox ever or what?! I don't think I could have imagined a better box after so many poor boxes in the past! But I think we were all won over by this month's surprises!

Let me jump straight in to what I got in the box.

First thing that jumped straight at me as it was the biggest in the box was Toni & Guy stick it up gum. It's supposed to keep your naughty fly away hairs or baby hair in tact! I have used it only once and really sparingly so can't really pass judgement about it. It is very solid and what I imagine coconut oil looks like. It melts under your touch and feels slightly oily. You get a full size product retailing at £7.49!

Second thing that grabbed my attention was Ciate nail polish in Raspberry Collins. And oh my am I happy to get it?! Yes!! Most of the nail polishes I got in Glossyboxes were nice but not very wearable by me! So having a gorgeous pink colour, perfect for spring and summer just made this box even greater! It is a full size nail polish as well retailing at £9!

I also got Maybelline Master Kajal Liner in black. I needed a black liner, but never used kajal liners. Not sure if there is that much difference to be honest! I haven't used it yet so not sure how it performs but watch this space:) This was a full size product as well retailing at £5.99!

So just with these three items the box is worth much more than the £10 that I paid for it...but this is not it!:)) 

Next thing on the list is the Nugat Sparkling body shimmer. It has very lightweight and gel/water like consistency. It doesn't make your skin shine but gives it a subtle glow, which I really like. You get 100ml sample and the 250ml full size product retails at £14. 

And last but not least are the Eldora false eyelashes. These are hand made and the pair I got look really long but very natural and are on a thin clear band, what I love in fake eyelashes! Of course it is a full size product ( imagine just getting one eyelash as a sample;)) and they retail at £3.90. I still need to test them so won't comment on their quality or durability, but I like what I see:))

This month as it was a Valentine's box there was a bonus product. Delicious Lindt chocolate bar. It retails at 0.75p per bar but you can also purchase it in packs of 24 I believe. It was a gorgeous soft caramel filling encased in milk chocolate... what not to like??! 

Overall I am super impressed by this month's glossybox, I love the design of the box, slight let down on the tissue paper front as it was plain white, but I won't be too picky as the products inside it really surpassed my expectations!

Hope you got nice glossyboxes yourselves, please share in the comment box what other variations of products you got in yours:))

Dont forget to check out my video as well!

xxx

Pregnancy essientials - what you need to help throughout most of your pregnancy!

I am on the roll here it seems! Check me out;) Will it be the only new years resolution that I actually stick to?? We shall wait and see;)

As I am over half way of my second pregnancy, today I thought was a good day to share with you all my little tips and products that make all the joys and strains of carrying your child easier!

I understand that it is such a special time, whether the baby was planned or not, but also it is very daunting and scary in a way! You are trying to get to grips with the situation, and I think it's mostly getting used to the new situation and accepting it that will help you through it all.

So without any more blabbing here are a few things that should hopefully help you in your pregnancy:

1. Folic acid & Vitamin tablets

Whether you are trying for a baby or have just discovered that you are pregnant, it is recommended to take folic acid to help the baby grow properly. I personally take Pregnacare tablets for pregnancy and breastfeeding, however they can be a bit pricey! In Boots they retail for over £11 each.

Photo taken from Vitabiotics website

If you don't want to spend money on tablets, you should have a folic acid rich diet, but most doctors will still recommend that you take tablets.

• broccoli
• brussels sprouts
• liver
• spinach
• asparagus
• peas
• chickpeas
• brown rice
• fortified breakfast cereals
• marmite

2. Fight morning sickness with ginger or tonic water

Some women are lucky enough and don't suffer a lot from morning sickness, but I also know some friends of mine were literally chained to the toilet being so sick! 

I had very mild nausea in my first pregnancy that normally occurred when I was travelling to work, that was the time when I used to take a mini can of Schweppes Tonic and drink it whenever I felt the sickness coming on. It used to work like a treat! With this pregnancy however I was suffering much more. I was off food for the first few months and the sicky feeling stayed with me for most of the day. Thats when Pukka tea came to the rescue! Most people say that gingery things help with morning sickness whether it's ginger cookies or tea. My preferred option was tea, especially lemon, ginger and manuka honey! It's perfectly refreshing but also sweet so there is no need to add any sugar or honey!

Photo taken from Pukka website

3. Look after your skin!

I think all future mums know that as beautiful as it is to grow a baby inside you it also puts an enormous strain on your body and skin especially! I am talking stretch marks here. I think it really depends on your skin type how much stretch marks you get during your pregnancy, but you can always help your body by moisturising to make it more elastic! There are tons of products for expecting mums and their unwelcome stretch marks, but the product I have used with my first and second baby is Bio Oil. It claims to help with scarring as well.

I always involve my husband, so when we are in bed in the evening his job is to moisturise my bump! 

He loves it as well as it gives him some time with his unborn baby, thats when he massages it and talks to it, I absolutely love those moments! Now that we have a 3 year old we don't get this special pregnancy time any more as we are occupied all the time! So having this 'bump' time is really precious! 

I think some products might be better, some worse but it's what you find works best for you. So with the trial and error method you will find something that works for you!

One more thing I wanted to say about stretch marks is that, just because you don't get them while you're pregnant it doesn't mean a lucky escape! I was free of them until the time of labour ( and now I know why it's called labour not a walk in the park!), but after all the pushing and the strain stretch marks appeared on my body! They are not huge or purple just little white lines but they are there! I am not saying it's a big deal as well, it reminds me of how amazing my body is, and that once I grew my beautiful daughter inside me! 

Photo taken from boots.com

4. Pregnancy/ maternity cushion

Oh bobbins, all the ladies out there that are pregnant and like sleeping on their front will understand what I am talking about! Sleeping is taken to a completely new difficulty level when you are carrying! That's why pregnancy cushion was a godsend! I have two, a smaller one which I use downstairs for breastfeeding and a larger one that I use for sleeping when pregnant and then as a feeding cushion once the baby is out!:) I bought mine in John Lewis for £45 and its called Theraline Big V Maternity Nursing Pillow in Ecru. 

You basically put it between your legs when you're sleeping on your side and it makes the sleeping so much more comfortable! Plus you can always use it as a feeding pillow so there is definitely almost a year of use in!

Photo taken from John Lewis wesite

5. Working mum

If you work in London and/ or use public transport I highly recommend getting a 'baby on board' badge! I am a curvaceous lady, so during the first trimester I just looked like I had too much for lunch! Which is frustrating in a way but hey! So when you are feeling rough, haven't slept well from all the excitement and over thinking, you have been chained to the toilet for the best part of your morning the last thing you want to do is stand on a crowded tube or bus! You want to sit your bum and stretch your legs! And this is why I urge all the expecting mums to order a badge like this or get it from any tube station ticket office! Most people will give you a seat and it avoids you getting into a huff;) Not that you're having any being hormonal and emotional;))

Order your badge here!

6. Comfortable clothes

I admire some expecting mums that they can still trot in their heels and look glamourous! I wasn't one of those mums. I preferred to wear my comfy flats, appropriate underwear and some nice stretchy clothes! And thats where I want to give you a little tip! If you don't absolutely need to splash on fancy maternity clothing just go to your local Primark and buy things that are two sizes too big! All my leggings are from there and most of the tops! I just can't justify spending so much money on maternity clothes knowing I won't wear them again!

Good places to look for some nice maternity bargains is ebay! I know it's not everyones cup of tea but you can save a fortune that way!

Don't get me wrong I think you do need to invest in some key pieces like a maternity coat or nice trousers with bump support, but other than that I don't feel the need on paying 3 times as much for leggings just because they printed 'maternity' on it!

I think this is it from me today:) I also have a video on my you tube channel so please check it out.

I will speak to you soon:) xxx