Mummy Christmas!

Well, it's Christmas eve and I currently have a snoozing baby lying on me as I type. Iris was born three weeks ago and nothing could have prepared me for what a whirlwind having a baby would be - it's been a successful day if I find the time to have a piece of toast, never mind fit a beauty regime into my day - but Iris is just perfect and I'm totally in love with her.

I want to take this opportunity to say thank you to everyone who has read my blog over the past year - I've loved writing it and hearing from readers. I'm probably not going to be posting quite so much for a while as I focus on being a Mum, but I'll check in every now and again with beauty news or inspiration.

Have a wonderful Christmas x

Loving my baby body

When I was recently asked to be photographed for a pregnancy photoshoot, I didn’t really give it much thought before accepting. It was lovely to be asked, and I figured it would be a nice way to capture these last few weeks of my pregnancy.

It was only the day before the shoot that I got to thinking about how much my body has changed over the past few months and how I feel about it.

Physically, I can’t say I’ve loved being pregnant. I’ve struggled with my energy levels throughout, become incredibly clumsy, and found lugging my expanding bump around logistically challenging. Creating a nightly pillow fort in bed to support said bump sounds way more fun than it actually is.

But I’ve also loved seeing my bump grow, knowing that every week it means the baby is growing too and that we’re that little bit closer to meeting her. 

Frequent visits to the work biscuit tin and a slightly obsessive penchant for ice-cream aside, I’ve eaten well. My priority has been to stay healthy and to give the baby all the nutrients she needs, so I've not given much thought to my figure. Having said that, I’ve been lucky not to have put much weight on. Over the years, my weight has fluctuated and at 39 weeks pregnant, I’m still lighter than when I was at my heaviest.

I’ve always tried to maintain a healthy attitude to food and body image, even when I was bigger and I worry about raising a girl in an increasingly weight-obsessed world. That's a whole other blog post though.

Anyway, the day before the shoot, I started to think about what to wear. Admittedly my options were rather limited. I’ve bought as few maternity clothes as possible with the view that I’ll only be wearing them for a short time and my money can be better spent elsewhere. (You know, like on the million and one things we need for the baby.) And then I thought about actually getting the bump OUT. 

There’s no way I would have considered being photographed in my undies before. It's a bit, well, self-indulgent and vain, right? But I realised that I feel confident about my pregnancy body – stretch marks, cellulite and all and this was an opportunity to capture this special time on camera.

So I dug out my best underwear (literally - it’s not seen the light of day for months) and got my kit off. Photographer Shelley was lovely and I felt totally comfortable with her. If you could see me now, typing away wearing joggers and my boyfriend's biggest jumper because it's the only one in the house that fits me, I couldn't look more different from the way I do in these pictures. They certainly aren't representative of my day-to-day pregnancy look, but I feel glamorous and sexy. I love the resulting shots.

Over the coming months, my body is sure to change even more. I can’t predict how I’ll feel about it when I’m left with the remains of a bump that once was, but I know I'll always be happy that I took the opportunity to flaunt it whilst I still had it.

What do you think? Would you have the confidence to get your kit off on camera, pregnant or not? 

Photography: Shelley Richmond
Shelley is currently offering mini-portrait photo shoots for just £50 - perfect for growing bumps or babies. 

Location: Brocco on the Park Hotel

Glamorous and Gory Halloween | The Dead Flapper Girl

Dead Flapper Girl

Just in time for Halloween, I thought I'd share some fancy dress inspiration in the form of my costume last year: The Dead Flapper Girl. With the help of loo roll (yes, really), eyelash glue, fake blood and LOTS of eyeshadow, I created one of my favourite ever looks. I loved having the opportunity to get creative with my make-up bag.

The main focus of the look is the open wounds, and believe it or not, that's where the loo roll comes in! When applied with eyelash glue and coloured in using a combination of red lipstick, black eyeshadow and fake blood, it gives a surprisingly realistic effect. This Glamorous Zombie tutorial by Doll Face Ree gives a good explanation for how to achieve those type of wounds.

Loo roll, eyelash glue and fake blood are used to create surprisingly realistic wounds

Classic 1920s make-up - all purple smokey eyes and red lips - worked as the perfect contrast with all that gore. To really up the halloween ante, I used matte textured sludgy-coloured eyeshadow to create a sunken effect under the eyes and in the cheekbones.

Time-consuming but worth it: A giant crimper helped to create 1920s finger waves

To create the 1920s finger waves, the Babyliss Pro Triple Barrel Waver worked a treat. It took AGES to work my way through my long hair, but I was thrilled with the finished result after pinning it up to create a faux-bob. 

So there's my favourite halloween look - what's yours?

Mojito Loves | Clarins Instant Concealer

When I recently had enough Boots points for a beauty splurge, I decided to give the Clarins Instant Concealer a go after reading good reviews about it. I'm really glad I did - it was love at first use.

Concealer tends to have two very different functions – offering either coverage or brightening effects – and I’ve yet to find one that manages to do both very successfully. All too often, those that offer a decent level of coverage to disguise under-eye luggage or spots can be very drying. Brightening concealers, such as the infamous YSL Touche Eclat, don't provide any coverage at all. 

One of my main complexion issues is dark circles and dryness under the eyes. When combined with pink eyelids, this has the effect of making me look constantly tired. At 35 weeks pregnant, I am constantly tired, but it doesn’t mean I want to look it! I also have red thread veins around the side of my nose and redness on my cheeks and chin, so concealer is one of the products I never leave home without.

Clarins Instant Concealer: Texture and application

With its light texture, a medium buildable coverage, and light-reflecting particles, the Clarins Instant Concealer is pretty much the perfect consistency. Its creamy formula is a dream to apply. A little goes a long way – as you can see in the image above, a small amount covered all of my problem areas. I find it applies best with the ring finger to smooth it on and then pat it in. Best of all, it doesn’t go cakey – even on my dry skin and when reapplied throughout the day.

Clarins Instant Concealer: In action

It’s being marketed specifically as an under-eye concealer and it really does conceal dark circles and brighten this area very well. I’ve also been using it to cover imperfections elsewhere on my face and it does an equally good job there, concealing the thread veins around my nose and the redness on my cheeks and chin, whilst still looking natural. I’m seriously impressed.

Here it is on the right side of my face (the left as you look at it) - under the eyes, on the eyelids, around the nose and on the cheeks and chin - I look so much fresher and all the redness has been well concealed.

Clarins Instant Concealer: Should you buy it?

There are currently only three shades in the range so it’s not ideal if you have very dark skin. I have 01 which is a perfect match for my pale complexion. At £21.00, it’s an investment product but one which really delivers for me. I would definitely purchase it again – even if I don’t have enough Boots points to foot the bill next time!
 
You can buy the Clarins Instant Concealer HERE.

Review | Rimmel Sun Shimmer Instant Tan BB Skin Perfector

Rimmel Sun Shimmer Instant Tan BB Skin Perfector in Light Matte

A 20p sized blob applied on a tanning mitt created a natural-looking colour.

Before and after: milk bottle legs, be gone with you!

Autumn’s well and truly here and if you’re anything like me, you’ll be rejoicing at the fact that you can finally start wearing the opaque black tights that have been banished to the back of the drawer all summer. But sometimes, even as the temperature drops, black tights don’t look quite right and bare legs have to make an appearance. 

Whilst I try and rock the pale and tragic interesting look most of the time, I have milk bottles where my legs should be and it’s just a fact of life that they look better with a little bit of colour. I’m not averse to a pair of very sheer nude tights with the right outfit, but the ever-increasing baby bump means my existing pairs are currently redundant. Similarly, me and fake tan have a long and chequered history, because frankly, I can’t be arsed with the faff of it. 

That’s why I was intrigued by the promises being made by the Rimmel Sun Shimmer Instant Tan BB Skin Perfector* in Light Matte. It’s claim to offer 24 hours of natural looking matte tan which can simply be washed off appealed to my lazy sensibilities. As with most fake tan, good preparation and a bit of patience make all the difference, so exfoliating and moisturising beforehand will create a smooth base. I did this the night before to save time on the day. Although technically a wash-off product, I didn’t trust it enough not to end up with orange palms, so I applied it with a mitt which was far less messy.

My impatience got the better of me the first couple of times I used it and there were some streaks at the back of my calves which didn’t look great. But this time I made sure I spent plenty of time rubbing it in – when I thought I’d blended it enough, I blended some more and it seemed to do the trick: I achieved a natural-looking tan in less than 10 minutes. If you prefer a darker shade, you could easily get a more intense colour by using more product. As it was, a 20p sized blob was enough to do each of my pale legs.

Overall, I was impressed with the Rimmel Sun Shimmer Instant Tan BB Skin Perfector. It’s a great value product which is ideal for fake-tan-phobes like myself, or for time-pressed tan fans. I suspect I’ll get quite a bit of use out of it in the Spring and Summer. 

Have you tried it yet? Or are there any other wash-off tans which you can recommend? 

Rimmel Sun Shimmer Instant Tan BB Skin Perfector | £6.99
 
*I’m completely ignoring the BB claim as, frankly, I’m not convinced it’s anything other than marketing speak.

Berry Nice: Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvet Lip Colour in 08 Grand Cru

7am: Bold lips from the Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvet Lip Colour in 08 Grand Cru

5pm: Excellent longevity from this matte lip product, albeit with a little bit of dryness in the centre of the lips

I don’t know about you, but with the onset of Autumn I find myself wanting to mix things up in the make-up department. The bright corals and pinks that I’ve worn all summer no longer appeal. I prefer something warmer. Something more, well, autumnal. Enter the berry lip. This one from Bourjois – their Rouge Edition Velvet Lip Colour in 08 Grand Cru – sure does pack a real punch. Forget the whole subtle “I’ve just been eating cherries and they’ve stained my lips” look. This product offers amazing colour pay-off which is not for the faint-hearted.
 
So what’s good about it?
 
It’s an incredibly pigmented matte product. Generally, I find matte textures too drying but this one fares pretty well, even on my parched lips. 

Now let’s just take a moment to admire the gorgeous colour. The texture may not be up everyone's street but the colour itself is actually very wearable and would suit most skin tones. The two images above were taken at different times of the day - it's showing a little more pink in the lower image when the light wasn't as good, but generally I'd describe it as a red-toned berry shade. It’s perfect for the upcoming season and is a great alternative to classic red for lovers of a bold lip.
 
The best thing about this product for me though is the very impressive staying power. Once applied, give it a minute or so to set then you’re good to go for the rest of the day. I applied just one layer at 7am and it survived a full day at work with back to back meetings, breakfast, lunch and innumerable snacks in between. Normally, I would top-up my lip colour at lunch, but I didn’t on this occasion to give it a really good road-test and it fared very well. You can see in the above image that my lips do look dry by the end of the day, but there’s still a noticeable layer of colour there. I can’t think of many other products that would offer that level of longevity.
 
What’s not so good?
 
I found the application a little tricky to master at first. The doe-foot applicator delivers a slightly uneven amount of colour as it glides over the lip, so you have to be really precise. Because the colour is so pigmented, any mistakes are noticeable. Now, I’m not normally a fan of lip liner but a very fine line around the outer edge of the lip did seem to help resolve this. I applied a thin layer of the Rouge Edition Velvet Lip Colour in the line, then blended it in with my finger and I think that gave the best effect.
 
Once you’ve practiced this technique a couple of times, it seems to work very well and the pigmentation and longevity are worth the patience and time it requires to achieve a polished look. 

Overall, the Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvet Lip Colour in 08 Grand Cru gets the thumbs up from me and I’m looking forward to experimenting with the rest of my make-up to really show off the gorgeous colour to its best effect.

I picked up my Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvet Lip Colour in 08 Grand Cru from Boots and it was £8.99.

Will you be trying it or do you run a mile from matte lipsticks?

Dye: Why you should patch test EVERY time

I have very fair eyelashes and eyebrows and I began dyeing them when I was about 15. Every couple of months for four years I temporarily didn’t look like a boiled egg without make-up on. Yay! Then one time things went wrong... 

When I was 19 I went to have my eyelashes dyed at a reputable salon attached to a 4* hotel. Things looked great for the first 24 hours. Then the itching started. Then the redness. Soon my eyes felt like they were on fire. Bloodshot doesn’t even begin to cover it. Think albino-red-eyed rabbit. I looked like I’d been on a marathon crying session for weeks. It took four days for the pain and redness to go away.

Yep, this is what my eyes looked like

Contaminated equipment?

Because I’d used dye so many times before I assumed the salon had used contaminated equipment. It never occurred to me that I may be having an allergic reaction. I called the salon to complain, they assured me they only use clean equipment, offered me a free appointment (which I declined to accept) and that was the end of that. The experience put me off using dye and I relied on mascara and eyebrow pencil to add colour to my facial features from there on in.

Take two 

Until a few years later that is… This time I had my eyebrows dyed at an established salon which had been recommended to me. Again, things looked great at first. 24 hours later my brows started itching. REALLY itching. A few hours later they were bright red. I was in pain. For days afterwards I was left with hideous, itchy scaly crusts where my eyebrows should have been.
 
The penny drops 

At this point I put two and two together and realised that, at some point, for some unknown reason, I had developed an allergic reaction to dye. Suffice to say, I have never coloured my lashes or brows since.
 
Noooo! Not hair dye too? 

When I recently visited a new hair salon to get my light blonde hair dyed a few shades darker, I was surprised to be asked to pop in for a patch test in advance. So many places just don’t bother. (Neither of the salons I went to for the eyelash and brow dye offered me one by the way.) I have my hair highlighted a couple of times a year and have never experienced any problems on my scalp, so I hadn’t expected there to be any issues. 

THANK GOD THEY DID! The next day, the itching started and the spot behind my ear where they’d applied the dye was red raw and painful. I was 5 months pregnant at the time. Had the colour been applied all over my scalp, the result could have been very serious. My stylist was great when I went back in to explain what had happened. She suggested doing another patch test of a lighter shade (which I didn’t react to) and used barrier cream on my scalp before applying the dye as an extra precaution. 

Thanks to patch testing, I didn't experience a reaction to my new hair colour

It’s more common than you think
 
A goth friend of mine used to dye her mousy hair black every six weeks for years. One time though, she was hospitalised after experiencing a severe reaction to the dye. Her face puffed up so badly her own mother didn’t recognise her. NCIS star, Pauly Perrette, was recently rushed to hospital with a similar experience. She posted this picture on her twitter account of the result. Here's another example of a bad reaction on Welsh woman, Carmen Rowe which the Daily Mail reported on back in 2012.

Carmen Rowe's severe reaction to hair dye

Having since done some research into this, it seems that it’s fairly common for people who have used dye – be it on their head, brows or lashes – for years without any problems to all of a sudden develop an allergic reaction. In the worst cases it can lead to anaphylactic shock or even death. The offending ingredient is para-phenylenediamine (PPD) and darker brown and black dyes are much more likely to cause a reaction.
 
What's the answer?

Patch test EVERY TIME. For people who have never experienced a problem with dye, I’m aware that this feels like an unnecessary step. It really isn’t. A reaction can occur at any time, even after years of use.

• DIY dye-er?
  If you dye your hair, lashes or brows yourself at home, plan ahead. Patch test behind your ear at least 24 hours before applying the dye to your head.
• Salon dye-er?
  All good salons should offer patch tests before any treatment, but very few actually do. Especially with regular clients. You may have to suggest it yourself and it may be a bit of an inconvenience, but it’s worth taking the time to pay a visit to the salon in advance (at least 24 hours) of your appointment to get a patch test done. 

Of course, the best precaution is to not use dye at all. If that's not an option, lighter shades tend to be less problematic. You could also consider natural alternatives, such as vegetable dyes or henna for your hair, but there are no alternatives for lashes and brows as far as I'm aware.

Symptoms to look out for

Worryingly, more and more stories seem to be emerging of people patch testing and still experiencing a reaction, but I wonder if this is more a case of symptoms not being picked up on rather than them not being there at all. Things to look out for include include redness, inflamed skin and itching.

So what do you think? Will you start getting patch-tested before each dye job? Have you ever experienced an allergic reaction to dye? Leave a comment below and share your experiences.

Allergy UK offer some more useful advice and information about hair dye allergies.
 

1970s inspired vintage wedding

I was recently lucky enough to be involved in a gorgeous 1970's inspired wedding photo-shoot which has now been featured on the Festival Brides wedding blog - very exciting!

It was a real treat for me to be able to get creative with my make-up bag to help produce a stunning vintage feel. Of course, the make-up look that I created was only one part of the equation and I loved seeing the looks come together over the course of the evening as some talented people got to work on our models, Grace and Flick.

The shoot was both styled and shot by Shelley Richmond. As well as being an amazing photographer at Diamonds and Doodles, Shelley also runs a budget wedding blog, Pretty Thrifty. If you’re a bride-to-be looking for inspiration on how to do a budget wedding in style, you should definitely take a look. I’m not even getting married and I love reading the blog! 

Amy McCullagh did an amazing job with the hair, and the flowers and flower crowns (HOW gorgeous?) were by of the wild. Proving that wedding dresses don’t have to cost a fortune, the dresses used in the shoot were all supplied by Vintedge and Vintage Sweetheart.

Here are some behind-the-scenes shots taken on my phone, but I was blown away when I saw Shelley’s final edit over at Festival Brides. 

Take a look - I'd love to know what you think.

x

  

The Best Hair Mask You'll Ever Use (and four other ways with coconut oil)

It may be more commonly found in the kitchen cupboard than the bathroom cabinet, but invest in a tub of virgin coconut oil and your skin, hair and nails will only thank you. 

Solid in the tub, once warmed into your hands it melts into an unctuous, versatile oil that smells delicious. 

With no hidden nasties, preservatives, fragrances or chemicals, the best thing about it is that it’s completely natural.

I’ve had a tub of Coconoil Organic Virgin Coconut Oil on the go for months now and there's still plenty left – amazing value at just £10.45 for a huge 460g tub. 

Any coconut oil will do though, just make sure it's the virgin variety as that's when it's at its most pure. 

Here are my favourite ways to use it.

1. The best hair mask you’ll ever use 

If your hair is dry, coloured, over straightened or is just looking a bit lacklustre, I recommend giving a coconut oil mask a go. 

It has the ability to transform my dry, frizzy locks into shiny frizz-free curls in a way that no other product has ever been able to do. Its anti-bacterial qualities make it a good choice for people who suffer from scalp conditions, such as dandruff, too. 

I’m usually a fan of treatments that get to work instantly, but alas, there are no short-cuts here. You need to leave the oil on for at least an hour – longer if possible – to really feel the benefits. I tend to use it when I’m hibernating at home with no likelihood of encountering another human being. I’ll apply it in the morning, go about my daily business (i.e. binge-watching cooking programmes), then wash it off a few hours later. 

• Section off dry hair and apply the oil generously all over. I find it works better applying it in sections than in one go – especially if you have thick hair.
• Pay extra attention to the ends, as this tends to be where hair is most damaged.
• Remember to rub the oil it into your roots too, as it is great at nourishing the scalp. Don’t worry about it leaving your hair looking greasy, as it will be washed out later.
• Wrap hair in a warm towel or a shower cap and leave for at least an hour.
• Shampoo twice and condition as normal.

2. Facial cleanser

Coconut oil is an excellent deep cleanser which makes nifty work of removing even stubborn eye make-up. 

Simply massage about a teaspoon-full in well, then wipe away with a damp muslin or flannel. Repeat if you’ve been wearing a full face of make-up or sunscreen to ensure every last bit of grease, grime and dirt have been removed.

3. Post-hair-removal soother 

Whether you’re a Nair on the top-lip girl, a bikini-line shaver or a leg epilator, hair removal can leave skin sore and dry afterwards. 

Coconut oil is the best post-hair-removal soother I’ve used. It quickly imparts moisture back into the skin, calms any redness and quickly soothes itching or burning. I won’t ever be without it for this purpose alone.

4. Cuticle oil 

Man, my cuticles are in terrible condition. My nails aren’t much better. 

They’re just so damn dry all the time. I’ve made it my mission to remember to rub a little bit of coconut oil into the cuticles each evening. I've been doing it for about a month and they certainly feel more nourished and look less flakey. I just need to keep it up now.

5. Body moisturiser

Many body lotions use coconut oil as a base anyway. Apply this all-natural alternative straight from the tub for well moisturised limbs. 

It sinks in surprisingly quickly (just give it a few minutes before putting your clothes on) and leaves a lovely sheen to the skin. You will smell so good you may want to lick yourself afterwards though.

Buy Coconoil Virgin Coconut Oil

So there are my five ways with coconut oil that don't involve cooking. Is there anything I've missed?

Metallic make-up look using my favourite budget eyeshadow palette

Molten metallic eye look created using
Sleek's iDivine palette in Storm

I’d not long had Sleek’s iDivine palette in Storm when I blogged about it back in May. Whilst I liked it then, a true test of a product is how much use it gets after the initial New Purchase excitement has dissipated. A couples of months in, I still love it.

As is often the case with palettes, there are some colours that I’ve not used much but there are a few shades that I’ve been wearing almost every day – day and night. Molten and shimmery yet very wearable, individually they are gorgeous. Together they are the perfect trio:

Sand Storm: A gorgeous warm-toned gold. Often these type of shades can be too yellow which is hard to pull off, but this has a slight copperyness to it which makes it very flattering.

Thunder Storm: This pretty cool-toned gold suits most skin tones, and again, doesn't contain too much yellow.

Dust Storm: Rich and sumptuous, this is a warm-toned rust-bronze that will complement all eye colours, but it really makes blue eyes pop.

Combined with the matte Calm Before The Storm and Eye Of The Storm - neutral-toned nudes that are great for shading (and for eyebrows) - you can create numerous wearable looks for every day or for a special occasion using these five shades.

Here I've used them with some other fantastic drugstore products on my friend Grace to create what I think is the perfect look for these balmy summer evenings. Not only is it simple to achieve it's affordable too, with every product coming in at less than £10.00.

Before

After: Metallic eyes + nude peachy lips = gorgeous

Achieve the look

1. Start by applying a light wash of Maybelline Colour Tattoo Cream Eyeshadow in On and On Bronze across the eyelid. The colour won't end up showing through, but it acts as a fantastic base for powder shadows. Think of it as a (budget) coloured eye primer.

2. Next use the pale gold shade from the Storm palette, Thunderstorm, all over the eyelid.

3. Apply the warm gold shade, Sand Storm, to the outer third of the lid - blending upwards above the crease slightly.

4. Lightly apply the rust-bronze shade, Dust Storm, to the crease, blending well.

5. Next, take the same shade, Dust Storm, along the upper and lower lash line, building up until you get your desired level of colour.

6. Lastly, apply lashings of black mascara. I used my trusty Max Factor Masterpiece Max here after curling Grace's lashes.

7. The look is finished off with a combination of Calm Before The Storm and Eye Of The Storm on the brows, and a gentle wash of peach on the cheeks (Bourjois Cream Blush in 01 Nude Velvet) and lips (Bourjois Rouge Edition in 17 Rose milesime).

You'd never know that every product used here cost
less than £10.00

This is a really achievable look for every budget and skin tone. In fact, Grace loved it so much she went out and bought pretty much everything I used the very next day!

Have you tried any of the other Sleek palettes? Are there any shades you can recommend?