Toddler Gift Guide..

As much as I love talking about makeup, the main love in my life is of course my almost two year old (wait what!?), Rosie. I’ve pretty much finished buying her presents now, I’ve tried not to go overboard because she is lucky enough to receive lots of presents from family and friends. 

Whether you’re buying for your own toddler or your niece/ nephew/ friend’s child, hopefully this gives you a little bit of inspiration. 

Obviously I had to mention Peppa first because at some points this year I’ve felt as though Peppa was my second child. We were bought tickets to go and see Peppa Pig Live at the theatre in the summer and she has been hooked ever since. We have quite a few Peppa toys for Rosie but I think the little sets at the park etc are perfect because it allows her to use her imagination and encourages her to play by herself and not always need me there. There are loads of these sets available, we’ve also bought the plane because Rosie knows that her Daddy goes to work on a plane and always mentions it when it comes on the TV. Cute! The picture shows the Peppa Pig Campervan because I've already wrapped the plane up.

Next up are some crafty items, Rosie loves to draw and colour at the moment, and keeps saying ‘look see Mummy I draw a picture!’ It’s the cutest thing! We are making our own Christmas cards this year so I’ve bought extra bits and pieces to put away and wrap up so that we’ve always got something to do on a rainy day.

You might have seen me mention on Instagram that Rosie has been asking for tractors and diggers for Christmas, I’m not sure where the obsession came from but apparently that’s all she wants! We picked this digger up from the Trafford Centre last week (it was a random little shop I can’t think of the name) but I know she will absolutely love it. You can get similar on Amazon and in Smyths. 

This isn’t something I’ve bought for Rosie this year, she actually got it for her birthday back in February and has recently rediscovered it. She loves this Piggy Bank because as you push the plastic coins through it counts along and she repeats the numbers. Educational toys are also a winner for me ha. 

This is probably an obvious one, but most children love books and new books always keep things exciting! Now that Rosie is getting older, she is listening more to the words of the story rather than just looking at the pictures, so I picked up an old favourite of mine, Elma the Elephant. If your child gets easily distracted or isn’t always interested in reading, you could always try singalong books or activity based books with lift up flaps etc. 

I think these flash cards are such a good idea for toddlers! These have numbers, letters and colours on them as well as objects that toddlers may be familiar with such as fruit and toys. Rosie is doing amazing with her speech so I know she will love this game, and it would also be a fab present for a toddler who maybe needs a bit of encouragement with their speaking too. 

Some other ideas are a kitchen or role play activities such as a tea set, toy picnic basket, or a trolley. Aldi is so good for that kind of thing! Smaller items could be colouring books and crayons or sticker books. I could write all day about toys and gifts I know Rosie would love but I think I’ll leave it at five ha! I hope you found this post useful and feel free to suggest any other ideas in the comments below. 

Thanks for reading x 

Last Minute Beauty Gift Guide..

I think this is going up slightly later than most Gift Guides but I know a lot of people do leave it until the last minute to get their presents, especially the men who have no idea when it comes to buying makeup for their girlfriends. I had 3 messages in the same day last week from boys asking what makeup to get their girlfriends for Christmas, so I thought I’d make it easy for anyone else struggling with beauty gifts. 



First up is this unreal Charlotte Tilbury lip masterclass. Regular readers of my blog will know that I swear by this brand, and I managed to bag this set in the Black Friday flash sale on the Charlotte Tilbury website. The lip masterclass contains 3 lip kits and the idea is that each look represents a country; England, America and China. I didn’t have any of these shades so I was mega excited to purchase this. The gift set itself is still cheaper than buying this amount of products separately so have a nosey and see if it’s in your budget. Your girlfriend will love you for this I’m sure! Next up are these very festive glitter eye sticks, how gorgeous are they?! These are the Too Faced Twinkle Twinkle Liquid Glitter Eye Shadows and they are perfect for Christmas time. Everyone loves a bit of extra sparkle around Christmas, and a little bit of glitter on the lid is the perfect way to add glam to your makeup without going overboard. These two shades are Citrus Mistress and Guava Glitz.One thing I love about Christmas is all the Christmas gift sets that different brands release. I’m a sucker for pretty packaging, and I love receiving gifts like this novelty Christmas cracker from Origin. It has 4/5 miniatures inside it all focused around looking after your skin. If the girl/boy you’re buying for is in to their skincare, then I think they’d love this. They are also the perfect size for travelling, so if you know someone who goes away a lot, this could be great for them too. Be quick with this one because it’s currently in the sale. 



I couldn’t mention makeup and skincare without throwing in some false tan! I wear the tiniest amount of false tan everyday, which sounds ridiculous but it’s only actually a really light tan, because I am the most ivory vanilla porcelain shade of pale you have ever seen other wise. At Christmas I always like to have a big pamper session, exfoliate and apply all over tan ready for Christmas. There’s just something about being tanned that makes everything a little bit better, isn’t there? This set from Vita Liberata is perfect for those who love their tan, it comes with a full sized false tan, a tanning mit, and the famous Body Blur. Apparently the Body Blur doesn’t leave tan on your sheets?! I’ll put this to the test asap but how life changing is that if it works?! Game changer. This set is currently in the sale too, thank me later.  If you don’t really fancy buying a full gift set or you’re making up your own bag of goodies for someone, these could be the perfect addition. Nars eyeshadow sticks are some of the creamiest eyeshadows I’ve come across, they blend easy, the pigment in them is fab and they don’t tend to crease on the lids. Plus they are super quick to apply if you’re in a rush. That’s everything for my beauty Gift Guide, if you need any other suggestions or ideas feel free to message me on Instagram or use the email address in my contact page. Happy shopping!

Thanks for reading x

Christmas treats with Prestige Flowers..

I know I’m probably not the only girl to say I absolutely love flowers. I always try to keep fresh flowers in my living room and kitchen because I just feel as though they make a room fresh and bright. Even if said room is full of toys and colouring books ha! 

You may have noticed I worked with Prestige Hampers a few weeks ago as part of their Christmas campaign, so when they emailed me regarding their sister company Prestige Flowers I was delighted, who doesn't love pretty flowers?!

This particular bouquet is the Luxury Delight bouquet and is perfect for me, pink and lilac roses (apparently called Memory Lane roses and Deep Water roses) and pink Stargazer lilies. I couldn’t fit them all in one vase which is why I split them up! 

In all honesty, I wouldn’t usually mention the same brand in such a short space of time, however I think the thought behind these particular flowers is amazing and I’m sure anyone reading would agree. 

Prestige Flowers have 11 bouquets in which 25% of the cost is donated to Cancer Research. Over the past year, they have raised more than £11,000 for the charity. How amazing is that?! I love hearing of brands making changes like this in order to raise money for good causes. And it’s also an added bonus for anyone ordering them because they are in fact helping the charity too. 

If you are already a customer of Prestige Flowers or was thinking of ordering from them, make sure you look for the Cancer Research sticker on the website next to the chosen bouquets if you’d like to help raise money too. 

Thanks for reading x 

*this post contains gifted items however all opinions are my own. 

Cult Beauty Makeup Haul..

A few weeks ago I was feeling really fed up with everything in my makeup bag, I was wearing the same products everyday and wasn’t really enjoying the end result. I decided I’d have a little refresh and treat myself to some new products that I’d been wanting to try for a while. Everything I got was from Cult Beauty because I feel like that’s my go-to place to get my favourite brands all under one roof. Here’s what I got..

Charlotte Tilbury Magic Genius Powder 

So this order was placed around 4 weeks ago now and I can honestly say I’ve wore this powder every single day since. It’s similar in ways to everyone’s fave Laura Mercier Translucent powder but it feels as though it’s more finely milled, meaning it’s more (in my opinion) perfecting and less drying on the skin. I only really use it in my T-Zone because that’s where I’m the oiliest and need it the most but It’s also fab for using to set under the eyes. It doesn’t leave them creased and although I just pat it on lightly with a brush, the powder can be built up if you prefer to bake. Ive seen some people say this powder has a funny smell but I can’t say I particularly noticed (and I’m funny about smells ha!). This is definitely a staple in my makeup bag now. 

Nars Soft Matte Complete Concealer in the shade Vanilla

I’m probably the only person who thinks this but the Nars Creamy concealer just didn’t work for me. My under eye circles used to crease so much and it seemed as though my makeup separated a bit with it on. I was a bit sceptical of buying this one for that reason but omg it’s completely different and I love it so much. My dark circles have always been something I’ve struggled with hiding, more so after having Rosie because I don’t have a sleep after work anymore (crying emoji). I apply this using my finger but as I said in my last Nars post I’m still on the look out for a brush to apply it with. It’s so easy to just pat into the skin and instantly covers any discolouration. Love love love. 

Nars Velvet shadow sticks - shades Goddess and Corfu

I’ve been undecided on purchasing these for honestly over a year now. I always think are they a bit expensive seeing as you only get the one shade, which I suppose they are a bit, but I gave in and bought the two shades I’ve been obsessed with for a while. They are really creamy and blend out so easy. I like cream shadows because you don’t necessarily have to do a lot of work with them. I just draw a couple of lines on to my eye lid with these and then either use my finger to buff them out or use a fluffy brush in a circular motion to blow them out a bit. So easy and so quick to use. I bought shades that I’d happily wear alone but also could go with a lot of other shadows in my collection as base or transition shades. 

Zoeva Luxe Soft Crease Brush (221) 

I’d been wanting a new blending brush for ages and when I saw this I knew that it was exactly what I’d been looking for. The brush hairs are so soft and not packed too tight so you can blend with ease. I’ve had Zoeva brushes before so I knew it would be fab! 

Hourglass Ambient Strobe Lighting powder 

If you’ve followed my blog for a while you’ll know a couple of years ago I bought the Hourglass Ambient Lighting palette and I was obsessed with this particular shade. I still use the palette now but I only have blush and highlights left in it. I knew I loved this powder but I wanted something small because the Genius Powder is such a big container, this travel size Ambient Light is perfect for sticking in my bag and for travelling. I love this powder because it doesn’t just set your makeup it gives your skin light and completely brightens your complexion. It’s been a fave for ages now so I’m glad I’ve repurchased it. 

Have you ordered from cult beauty recently? If so what did you get? Xx

Thanks for reading x

The Wedding Diaries #4 I Said Yes to the Dress!

Ahh! I can’t believe I finally found my dream wedding dress. It feels so surreal because I’d started to think I wasn’t going to find it. 

If we go back to my first ever trip to a bridal shop in July, I had no clue what I wanted, no clue what suited me and no idea where to start looking. Bridal shops have rows and rows of dresses and for me it was very overwhelming. My first experience wasn’t great, I felt like the lady was very adamant she was getting a sale, and there was a dress that I liked the style of, but there was around 4 things I didn’t like about it. I was saying this wasn’t the right dress for me, but the lady insisted we could alter all four of these things, of course at four additional costs. Obviously I haven’t been back to that place! 

I went to a couple of other places and tried different styles on but nothing really stood out to me, so I decided to take a step back and leave it for six weeks and then start looking again with a clear mind. I’m so glad I did this! My wedding is nine months away so it would have been so easy to panic buy a dress I didn’t truly love, for the sake of ticking it off of my list. 

The last place I went to was Natalie Anne Brides in Liverpool. I’d heard good things from a few people, but with my other experiences not being great I didn’t really know what to expect. As soon as I spoke to Natalie when we arrived, I started to feel hopeful that I would find my dress because she was so helpful and kind. She helped me in and out of the dresses and really listened to what I liked and disliked about each dress I tried on, in order to help me find one that I really loved. Natalie came across so sincere, and I felt as though she understood how nervous I was about the whole thing. 

To be completely honest, one thing I’ve struggled with in this whole process is that I am very critical of myself and I always have been, I’ve never really been happy with the way I look, so to put myself quite literally on a pedestal in dresses I wouldn’t usually wear was a huge deal for me and my anxiety was through the roof. 

When I tried my dress on I just knew it was the one. That feeling they say you get when you are completely happy with it is true. Natalie said she could tell I loved it because I wasn’t criticising myself, I was just looking at the dress. I never thought I would get to that stage! I’m so happy with my dress and I can’t wait to share photos after the wedding. 

I think taking a break from searching really helped me to decide what I really loved and what would flatter my shape. I’m not really slim and I have hips that are significantly bigger than my waist and always have been, so I needed to be realistic when thinking about what would suit me. 

I can’t thank Natalie enough for being so patient when helping me to find my dress. She really knew her stuff when it came to fabrics and styles and was honest in the most considerate way when I asked for her opinion. Another thing I really appreciated was that she wasn’t overly involved in my final decision, she pottered around in the back and gave me some space whilst I discussed with my Mum and Heather, which I thought was really professional unlike previous pushy sales vibes I’d got at the last place. 

I couldn’t recommend this bridal studio enough for any brides that aren’t sure on what they want, because Natalie will definitely help you find something you love. 

Thanks for reading x

Feeling Festive with Prestige Hampers..

I asked on an Instagram poll at the weekend was it too early to talk about Christmas, and apart from one Ebenezer Scrooge everybody said no it wasn’t too early, we all love Christmas!

The reason I’m talking about Christmas early this year is because Connor is only home in November, and then goes away early December until January. So basically he will miss the whole of the usual build up and of course Christmas Day. I’m so sad about this to be honest, but just like most years I have some exciting things planned in November for us so he doesn’t feel as though he’s missing out. And it’s just an added bonus for Rosie and I because it means Christmas starts earlier for us!

Anyway, I thought my first festive post had to be food related, because for me and probably most people reading this, food is up there with one of the best things about Christmas. 

I was recently very kindly sent this luxury Christmas hamper to review from Prestige Hampers, and if I didn’t have a personal trainer I’d have probably eaten the lot by now because the goodies inside are unreal.

The hamper itself is this gorgeous, handwoven wicker and fastens at the front with little catches. I always find jam packed hampers like this so exciting and this one is full to the brim with goodness.  

The contents inside are as follows;

Water Stop Station Chardonnay

Water Stop Station Shiraz 

Red Velvet Crunch Biscuits 

English Breakfast Tea 

Milk, White and Dark Chocolate Classics

Shortbread Festive Shapes 

Classic Christmas Pudding 

Iced Christmas Cake 

Dark Chocolate Bar 

Mackays Christmas Preserve 

Tomato, Basil and Mozzarella Yorkshire Crisps 

Handmade Smoked Oatcakes 

Mackays Christmas Marmalade 

I know so many people in my family would love to receive this as a gift, especially my Mum or my Nan. It’s the perfect Christmas gift for anyone that doesn’t really need anything, but you know they always enjoy good quality food and drink. 

Prestige do a range of different luxury Christmas hampers suited to everybody. I’ll leave a link to this one here which is the Traditional Gift Basket for anyone looking for any other details. 

I hope you’ve enjoyed this first festive post! 

Thanks for reading x

This post contains gifted items however all opinions are my own.

3 Favourites from Nars..

Does anyone else get stuck in a rut with their makeup and suddenly you feel as though you’ve been using the same products forever? I’ve felt like this lately, my tinted moisturiser hasn’t been lasting quite as long as usual on my face (I’m blaming the weather) so I’ve gone back to using something a little bit heavier with more coverage. 

I’ve used Nars Sheer Glow before and I forgot how much I loved it until I repurchased recently. It’s a medium to full coverage but you can built it up to be completely airbrushed if you feel necessary. I try not to use too much, but I’ve started using a little more on my cheeks because that seems to be where it starts to separate first. The formula itself is quite light compared to some full coverage foundations, but still leaves you with a lovely glowy finish. It’s my new fave but I’m really trying not to use it on days when I’m not doing much because it’s not the cheapest of foundations on the market. 

I feel like we really need to discuss this concealer. I’ve been using my Mac Prep n Prime highlight under my eyes for years now. But it runs out so quickly I can never justify continuously repurchasing, so I decided to try something different. This Soft Matte Concealer from Nars is literally a fake eight hours sleep. If you suffer from dark, purpley coloured circles like me then you’ll really appreciate this product. It’s creamy and thick, but really blendable. I never really got on with the Nars Creamy concealer but this one I absolutely love. I usually use my finger and pat it under my eyes but with acrylic nails this can get a little tricky so I’m on the lookout for a good brush to use with it. 

My final little product from Nars is this gorgeous eyeshadow duo in the shade Kuala Lumpa. Now being the bad blogger that I am, I used this to death before actually photographing it. But surely that tells you I just couldn’t wait?! The pink shade in this is just absolutely perfect for me, I’ve been using nothing else for the past two weeks. It’s a really subtle pink with tiny gold speckles in it. No photo would do it justice so please go to a Nars counter and swatch it for yourself because it’s bloody gorgeous. The purple shade is also to die for, especially in the colder months I always like to add a little bit of a darker eye here and there, and it goes gorgeous with lipsticks like Mac Rebel or Charlotte Tilbury Bitch Perfect. The consistency of the actual eyeshadow itself is beautiful, there’s no fall out when applying, and they blend so easily. Everything you want in an eyeshadow! The duo cost £26 so it isn’t cheap, but the way I justify it is I would spend £40 on a palette that I’d maybe use every so often, but this duo I’ve used everyday since I got it. So surely it’s worth the money? If Connor reads this post he’s gonna say that’s not really a significant justification but hey what does he know. 

That’s everything from my little Nars haul, let me know if you’ve tried any products from Nars and if so what’s your favourite? 

Thanks for reading x

Trying a New Brand - My Glossier Picks

Okay so it’s not exactly a new brand, but it’s definitely new to me! I discovered Glossier through Instagram a couple of months ago, and decided to order some of their cult products to see what all the fuss was about. I wanted to use them for a few weeks before writing about them, just to make sure I liked them. 

I picked up the Glossier Milky Jelly cleanser because I’d heard so many people rave about it, and I’d recently ran out of my Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish. This hasn’t disappointed at all, it’s lovely! I’ve never used a cleansing ‘milk’ before, only creams, but the texture was lovely. It feels like more of a gel than a cream which was a nice change because it’s quite cooling on the skin. It says to apply on damp or dry skin and then rinse. I’ve tried to get into the habit of using it in the morning as well as in the evening because it’s really refreshing. I think it was only £8 for the bottle as well which is amazing!

I also picked up the Glossier Boy Brow, mainly because I just can’t be bothered to use a pomade anymore and find it so much easier to just comb a bit of this through my brows and leave them more natural. Medium is the perfect shade for me and it keeps my brows in place all day. It’s so much quicker to use a product like this, which is a bonus when you’ve got a toddler/ aspiring makeup artist sat beside you. 

My favourite product from this mini Glossier haul has to be the Priming Moisturiser. I’ve been using this one product every morning religiously before applying my makeup rather than using a moisturiser and then a primer. Obviously they named it very well because it actually is the perfect balance between a moisturiser and a primer. The texture is creamy but light and sinks in really quickly, leaving the perfect base for my makeup. I’d recommend this to anyone who usually wears a day moisturiser and then a primer because I just use this now and I’ll definitely be repurchasing. 

I actually also got the Glossier Rose Balm which is beautiful but I wish I’d got the birthday cake scent because I feel as though I’d wear that one more. The balm itself is lovely and I’ve been using it before bed and leaving it on overnight to let it soak in because it’s quite thick. I always feel like I’ve pampered if I put lip balm on at bed time ha! 

That’s everything I got from Glossier, definitely a new favourite brand and one I’m keen to try more of in future!  I'm thinking of making this into a little series alongside my Wedding Diaries, and trying out new brands every so often and seeing what products from them I like the most. Let me know if you think this is a good idea!

Thanks for reading x

Spending Quality Time as a Family..

A few people who follow my blog have asked about Connor's job and how long he goes away to work for, so I thought I'd write a little post to give some insight. In our house, the set up is pretty unique compared to most households. Connor's job takes him to various different countries around the world, currently he's based in Singapore. He works away for four weeks, then comes home for four weeks. It’s always been like this since we met 7 years ago, but it has become more difficult since we had Rosie. When Connor is due to go back to work, I find myself checking my watch constantly, hoping that time will slow down and we will have more time to spend together as a family. Having this kind of set up helps us appreciate every minute of family time we get. 

We try to make the most out of Connor's time at home by taking Rosie to different activities, and doing a lot of things she hasn’t done before, so that Connor can be home for the first experiences. We recently took Rosie to the cinema for the ‘Movies for Juniors’ to watch Aladdin. She loved it! She enjoyed sitting on the steps more than the booster seat but by the time we got comfortable , she had fallen asleep. We’ve also been to CBeebies Land this summer, along with Mallorca, and Ribby Hall. We are lucky to have been able to pack lots into our summer this year, we just try to use our time together wisely. It’s great in the summer, but come Christmas time when Connor will most likely be away, that’s when it gets difficult for us. 

We also love to have cosy days in the house, especially now that the weather is cooling down, and stay in our pyjamas all day. We bake cakes, make dens in the living room, and snuggle up to watch a Disney film. These are the best days! You don’t always have to spend a fortune to have an amazing day, and Rosie doesn't know the difference anyway as long as we're having fun. We’re really enjoying this time with Rosie at the moment, she’s at a perfect age of just starting to talk, but being really funny too. We want her to stay this age forever!

If you watch my Instagram stories, you’ll notice I use it to document a lot of our days in and out, and put it all in to one Rosie highlight. This is so that when Connor’s at work he can look back at everything we did the last time he was home and have lots of memories to hand. 

Thanks for reading x

This is a collaborative post. 

Rosie's 18 Month Update..

I think this is the first update post I’ve ever written on Rosie, unless you include the emotional wreck of a post I wrote when she turned one ha! I love reading other peoples’ update posts and I think it’s nice to look back on when she’s older too. 

I can’t even believe I’m saying she’s 18 months old. I honestly feel as though this year has gone quicker than last year and all of a sudden people are asking when we’re having another. I tried to keep hold of the newborn baby stage for as long as I could, because the old ladies that stop you in Tesco aren’t joking when they say it flies by. 

When did she start to walk?

Well Rosie was a little late to the party in terms of walking, she started walking independently at around 15 months. We got asked the question a lot of ‘is she walking yet??’ but I’m so glad we didn’t rush her. Every baby is different, there are babies in my family that were walking at 9 months which is amazing, but they go when they’re ready and if it takes a little longer then that’s okay too. She now insists on running everywhere so she’s definitely caught up!

Rosie was in a hip brace for six weeks when she was only four months old, and had to have several check ups because one of her hip sockets was more shallow and needed to catch up. She had her latest check up a couple of months ago and we were told her hips are now perfect and she just has to have routine check ups once a year until she’s five. 

Sleep

Rosie was a really good sleeper at the beginning and then around Christmas time she would wake in the night for milk and that lasted about three months. I think it was around March I left her one night to cry for ten minutes (pls don't judge) and she started sleeping through again after that. She only really wakes in the night now if she has a tooth coming through or a blocked nose etc.

Speech 

We are actually amazed by Rosie’s speech if I’m honest. Her speaking in the last couple of months has come on amazingly, she can say her family names clearly (Mama, Daddy, Nanny, Nonna, Heather, Matt, Chez, Nancy) and has now even started saying my friends and their kids names; Jade, Laura, Pen, Emma, Katie, Dottie, Freddie. 

She also says more general words that help us to have a conversation with her, such as drink, more, shoes, all gone, night night, hello, bye, please and thanks. We are always laughing at her because if anyone asks her what she has had to eat she says every time without fail, ‘eggs, beans, sausage’ even if she hasn’t had that ha! 

I’m not sure where she’s up to in terms of being advanced with her speech or if she is just at the right level for her age but she continues to amaze me everyday. If I point to anywhere on her body she will happily tell me what part that is, whether it’s legs, knees, head, toes, hands or anywhere on her face. We do sing heads, shoulders, knees and toes so I think that has helped her a lot with that. More recently she has started to string words together like 'shut door' and 'Daddy up now!' when we're waking Connor up! No idea where she gets the bossiness from..

Appetite

As you’ve probably seen if you follow my Instagram, Rosie has a great appetite at the moment. A lot of people have told me if she eats well now, she will be fussy in the next couple of years so I’m making the most of her enjoying her food in case she does start turning it away! I try to give her a balanced diet whilst also keeping it as varied as possible. She loves her veggies and fruit, but also loves chips cheese and pasta. One thing I do struggle to get her to eat a lot of is meat, particularly red meat. She will eat ham, but any sort of minced meat and she usually chews it and spits it back out so I’m still working on that. She loves olives and peanut butter which are two things I really don't like, but I love that she will try anything and usually likes it.

Personality

Rosie’s personality just gets better everyday. She’s already turning into her own person rather than just a baby. She loves dancing, playing shop, and bossing the dog around. She’s always telling him to sit down and tickling him under his chin.  It’s so funny because she loves tickling people, if you’re in our house with no shoes on, your feet are getting tickled whether you like it or not! Rosie’s still enjoying her swimming lessons and we started Chapter 6 last week which is the start of the toddler classes, very exciting! Over the last month or so, Rosie has become so independent, she doesn't want help with anything and sometimes gets a little frustrated when she does need help.

The tantrums have already started which I don't think I was prepared for, and it's usually because we have to leave somewhere or if she has to go in her pram. I'm usually bad cop whilst Connor either gives in and throws chocolate at her (not literally) or laughs at her.  

This post has accidentally ended up longer than I planned because let’s face it who can’t talk about their baby all day long? One thing I have learnt in these 18 months is that every baby is different, and it is important not to compare one from another. Some people may read this and think wow she was late with her walking, and others may read it and think she is way ahead with her speech. They will all catch each other up eventually and as long as they are happy that’s all that matters. 

Thank for reading! 

Changing Up My Makeup Bag..

Does anyone else feel like they stick to the same makeup all the time because you’re just used to it and comfortable with it? Because same.

I like a medium to full coverage base, little bit of highlight and some sort of nude lip. Lately though I’ve been getting a little bored of it and decided to mix up my makeup bag and force myself to use some of the gorgeous makeup I had gathering dust. 

One thing I’m starting to love more as the weather cools down is blusher, which is so different for me. I’d said in previous posts that blusher just isn’t something I’ve ever been in to, but my lovely Mum got me this gorgeous Pretty Youth Glow Filter set for my birthday and I absolutely love it. There’s two shades, a pale pink highlight shade and a deep pink. I actually prefer the deeper colour because I only use the tiniest little bit to keep it really subtle. The brush that comes with this is so unique! It’s angled to fit the shape of your cheekbone which isn’t something I’ve ever seen before. It makes it easy to apply it though if you’re not the most confident when it comes to blusher like me. 

I’ve also been loving this lipgloss from Pixi Beauty in the shade Sheer Rose. I was kindly sent a couple of months ago a package full of their staple products along with some new releases and this gloss really stood out to me. I just need to find a liner that goes well with it because I hate applying any lip product without lining my lips first. Any recommendations are appreciated ha! I’ve been using a nude one just to shape them for now but a pink would be better. I love wearing a bright colour like this with a flawless, highlighted base and nothing major on my eyes. I’m very much one or the other, If I have a bright lip I’ll wear minimal eyeshadow and vice versa. 

I changed my base up slightly when I want a higher coverage and more perfected look. I still use the It Cosmetics CC Cream but using the Charlotte Tilbury Flawless Filter as a primer when I want it to look really polished. I’ve also been loving the Collection Lasting Perfection concealer under my eyes and on my chin to add a little bit of definition. To finish I’m loving the perfecting powders in this Becca Be a Light palette which is just insane, I might do a full post dedicated to this palette because I love it so much ha. 

I think that’s everything I’ve changed in my usual makeup routine recently, mainly new products or the ones I got for my birthday. 

Have you switched up your makeup bag lately? Let me know in the comments any new products you’ve come across. 

Thanks for reading x