COLLECTION FOUNDATION // REVIEW

 

I'm constantly switching to and from different foundations for multiple reasons; too dark, low coverage, doesn't last long enough or simply too expensive.   
A friend recommended I try the Collection range. The price persuaded me, why not give it a go?   

    

COLLECTION LASTING PERFECTION ULTIMATE WEAR CONCEALER - 16 HOUR WEAR 

Where better to start than concealer? I'm white as a ghost so obviously I bought the lightest shade (FAIR), it's the perfect colour for me - I won't lie, I have used this as foundation because I was so happy with the shade! 

It really does last as long as it says, if not more. I dot this all over my face instead of just on blemishes and blend with a brush as I find that way it creates the perfect base for foundation. 

For £4.19 this concealer is a steal, it's my favourite concealer at the minute, I use it everyday!      

COLLECTION ILLUMINATING TOUCH FOUNDATION    

So I bought this in the fairest shade also (PORCELAIN), upon testing this foundation on the back of my hand it appeared too dark for me, almost orange. You'll be pleased to know it was much different on my skin. Again being white as a ghost, I was pleasantly surprised to find this much lighter than other drugstore foundations I've tried. 

The coverage is great, although not needed I applied a second coat just to get the right finish. I love that you can build up this foundation without looking caked in makeup.

It lasts longer than you would think seen as though it doesn't advertise it being long lasting.

RRP £5.99  

COLLECTION PRIMED & READY MAKEUP FIXING SPRAY 

I've been wanting some of this for a while now, unsure on which brand might be the best, I went with Collection. I wasn't left disappointed. I'm busy all day long and find by late afternoon my makeup has gone patchy. This simply sprays on and keeps my makeup set all day long, if I'm out in the evening too I'll just spray a bit more on just to ease my mind.

This fixing spray is definitely worth the price of £5.99

All in all, I did well. I've hesitated buying this brand before in fear that the cheaper makeup is, the worse it will be. This definitely isn't the case here. I will be buying again when I've run out!

Check out Collections range Here

MAY 2017 BIRCHBOX // REVIEW

This months box design is my favourite so far, it's simple marble style with rose gold detailing is beautiful, I love it!

 

I'm not going to lie when I opened my box I couldn't help but feel a bit disappointed as it looked practically empty, but on a closer look I was yet again amazed. The products the month are perfect for me, Birchbox - you did well!     

 

I was instantly drawn to the biggest of the product samples - Kueshi Hair Mask Shine & Volume.

I dye my hair an awful lot and this hair mask is just what my hair needed. It's designed to strengthen, hydrate and moisturise damaged hair. 

FULL SIZE RRP £10.50     

 

Spectrum Collections Marbleous C06 Tulip Eye Contour Brush - FULL SIZE

One of this months Birchbox Exclusives. This brush is perfect for blending, smudging and defining and it's so so soft!  

RRP £4.99 

Punk Volumizer Mascara - Sample

This months second Birchbox Exclusive! I couldn't wait to try this out.

It's designed to define each individual lash, adding volume and thickness to mimic false lashes. I must say, it does the job!

FULL SIZE RRP £18    

 

dr. brandt pore no more cleanser - Sample

This cleanser is designed to minimise pores, dissolve impurities, clear blackheads, refines uneven skin texture and control oil.

I'm not usually one for using cleansers but after giving it a go, I must say it's really worth it! My skin feels lovely and soft and it's gentle enough to use everyday! This has slipped its way into my daily skin regime!

FULL SIZE RRP £30 

 

This months second Full Size product is Marsk Mineral Eyeshadow in Vanilla Frosting.

I've been really excited about this product, we had a choice between two shades of which I chose the lighter option, I was not left disappointed.

It's beautifully pigmented, super soft powder and is great for sensitive eyes!

Love, love, love this product!

RRP £14.49

May's Birchbox "is all about the little changes that can make a big difference to your daily rituals." This is very true in my case, I love this months box, the products are all personalised and definitely perfect for me!

Bring on next months box!!

For more information or to start a subscription Click Here

BABIES FIRST TOOTH!!

For most of us parents, teething is a nightmare! It comes and goes leaving us with nothing but tears and drool to wipe from our babies faces. Well when my son decided to have a chomp on my finger last week, it's safe to say I was in for a shock.

Suppressing the inner me wanting to shout "Charlie bit my finger!", I let out a little yelp and began my search for those pearly whites! There it was, sitting there staring me in the face. Reuben's first tooth!! At 7 months old, no pain, fuss or crying, finally all that previous teething had paid off. 8 days later and another one has popped up out of nowhere! My baby has his first two front teeth!

Words can't describe how proud I am of my boy, any parents out there I'm sure you know what I'm talking about! And yes. I've been singing "all I want for Christmas is my two front teeth" all day..

In my head of course.

If any of you want to share your teething/first tooth experiences please comment on this post, I'd love to hear them!

EMERGENCY C-SECTION EXPERIENCE

As many of you may know, birth plans play a very important role in a woman's pregnancy.
Planning and organizing you wishes for the birth of your children. When labour arrived for me, nothing and I mean nothing, went to plan.
My mum and sister both had 3 hour labours, natural births and perfect healthy babies to cuddle soon after. I thought I'd be exactly the same.
I thought wrong.

After a week of slow labour stuck at 2 cm, 36 hours of established labour, 30 of which stuck at 5 cm and 6 at 8 cm, my perfect little boy became distressed. We had both contracted sepsis and before I knew it, I was rushed down to theatre to have an emergency caesarean. I convinced myself everything would be okay, I could feel myself slipping in and out of consciousness. Certain I was going to die, I told myself they know what they're doing and as long as my baby arrives safely I will be forever grateful.

An hour later, he had arrived. Reuben David Hathway born at 14:49 pm on 23rd September 2016 weighing 8 lbs 2 oz. He was perfect, he was really unwell. With sepsis and a collapsed lung they rushed him down to SCBU (Special Care Baby Unit) with a giant mask over his tiny face. My mum and partner followed, leaving me numb and alone to recover.

One of the first photos of my baby boy

I begged and begged to be allowed to see him, but they refused. 9 hours later I was blessed with finally meeting the love of my life. I could look but not touch, difficult considering I was in a wheelchair.

He had to be rushed to Bristol for further testing at 1 am, not even a day old, on his own. Being told I couldn't go, I spent all night worrying, crying and staring at the photos my partner had taken of him. If anything had happened to him I would forever carry the guilt of never having held him and kissing that beautiful face. By 5 am he was back in his incubator, thankfully with no other underlying problems. Reuben was slowly getting better and the next thing was for me to recover and be the best mum to him that I could. 


I hadn't informed myself on Caesarean Sections, under the delusion that it was just "one of those things" it's safe to say I was unprepared for the pain that followed. I didn't realize that a C-Section was major surgery. It was traumatizing and it will stay with me for the rest of my life.


I spent the next few days being told by nurses to get up and walk about, have a shower and go and get breakfast. All simple day-to-day tasks that were physically impossible for me at first. I had a 7 inch wound holding my stomach together, I feared standing up straight in case I ripped open. The pain was unbearable. Every single movement caused excruciating pain, there was a point where I thought I would never feel normal again.

When Reuben was fully recovered and the time came for him to come home, understandably I elated. I couldn't wait to show him off, give him proper cuddles without all the wires and cannulas. Even that was ruined. Already felling like a disappointment to my baby boy, I was unable to breastfeed though the shear pain and the 2 weeks that followed included other passing me my baby and taking him away when they 'thought I'd had enough', pushing my baby in his pram and getting down on the floor to play, while I sat back thinking 'that should be me'.

Reuben recovering, 4 days old.

PND (Postnatal Depression) and PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) hit me like a tonne of bricks. It took time, a long time but I did get better. I did build a bond with my baby boy, considering that seemed impossible to achieve not so long ago. 7 months down the line, I miss my tiny little baby, more than anything. That thought alone brings back the experience that will haunt me everyday of my life. 

    US

  NOW

An emergency C-Section took its tole on me. Not just physically but emotionally too. For some time I didn't bond with my son and didn't recognize him as my own. Just thinking about the caesarean reduces me to tears still, but I got help, I'm still receiving help and I will get better.

If you take anything from this, pregnant or not, I hope it's that you prepare yourself for all options and the possibility that things might not go to plan. More importantly, Caesarean Sections are definitely not an easy way out.

You can find information on Caesarean Sections here
Click Here for information on Postnatal Depression
Click Here for information on Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
Help for PND and PTSD related to birth trauma can found here

NYX LIQUID SUEDE CREAM LIPSTICK // REVIEW

After browsing all my usual makeup counters, I stumbled across NYX Cosmetics. Now I've never tried this brand before but I've heard pretty good reviews! With an irritated infant (and a very colourful hand) I chose my shade, Sandstorm.

 First impressions weren't great, I'd never used this type of wand, I was unsure if the colour would be too dark and it went on very shiny, almost like gloss..

Upon drying is when I fell in love! Lovely matte finish and super soft! The winner for me is that it stays put all day and night with no touch ups! Last but not least, when removing my makeup, it comes straight off, no struggling, no mess!!

This lipstick is by far the favorite in my collection and one things for sure.. I NEED more!

Click here to check it out or check to see if your local Boots are in stock!

APRIL 2017 BIRCHBOX // REVIEW

As the postman handed me my Birchbox, I just couldn't wait to see inside.

The design on the box is so cute!. It looks so pretty placed on my shelf, the drawer is a lovely added extra too! This just added to the excitement!

Upon opening the drawer, I was surprised with the size of the products - very reasonable for what you pay for your subscription! All of the products have such lovely packaging. I don't know if its just me but I prefer products that look nice as well as do the job.

Baïja Paris - Crème Moana in Fleur de Tiarè

This smells INSANE!

It rubs so easily into my skin and makes it so soft! I've been using this cream on my hands and the smell is just amazing! The sample is the perfect size to keep in my bag when I'm out and about, making it super easy to keep moisturized.

The full size RRP is £15.90 and in my opinion its so so worth it, I will definitely be buying more of this! 

amika: The Shield Style Extending Spray

I received a 31.5ml sample of this spray and I must say with an RRP of £20 for a full size, its not much different to any other hairspray I've tried. It smells lovely and most definitely does what it says on the bottle!

I don't think I'll be purchasing the full size version myself, but if you're looking for a hairspray that is very light on your hair then this may just be the one for you!

Nip + Fab Colour Correcting Concealer

This months Birchbox included a full size version of this product. I must admit, once reading the booklet provided and learning that the purple shade 'eliminates yellow undertones' I became a bit skeptical. Only reason being that I have more red patches so green would have been ideal. To my surprise, this colour corrector is by far my favorite! It really brightens dull parts of my skin, it dries super quick and the brush applicator is great.

To top it off, the full size RRP is £8.95 which means its almost certain that I will be buying this again. 

Polaar IcePure Gentle Scrub with Arctic Cotton

I'm not one for face scrubs but I thought I'd give it a go. I can't express enough how soft my skin felt after using this, this scrub has made it into my skincare regime! I felt so energized after using this and the fragrance is beautiful.

Full size RRP is £23.50, it's quite pricey for a face scrub, but I feel since I wont have to use it every day and maybe more like 2-3 times a week it's most likely worth the investment.

Manna Kadar Cosmetics High Definition Powder

By far my favorite product from this months Birchbox. I had the choice between two different full size Manna Kadar Cosmetics of which I chose this powder. This powder is ideal for my skin as I'm quite pale. It's so smooth to apply! Using a brush I end up with a perfectly matte finish without looking caked in powder.

It's full size RRP is £27, for a powder this good I definitely would not mind paying, although its about the size of a singular eye shadow. If I were ordering it for the first time without seeing it face-to-face, I would be very disappointed with the size.

All in all, I'm pretty impressed with April's Birchbox and I can't wait for next months!

For more information or to start up your subscription Click Here