Pink Lining Notting Hill Tote Bag Review

I was using the smaller mum on the run bag but I've found that I needed more space to carry snacks etc so I bought this beauty.
I absolutely love it. I used to have the Yummy Mummy bag but I wanted something more 'for me'. The Notting Hill tote looks more handbag like and to the untrained eye it is just another stylish tote bag.

It still has lots of pockets for all my baby needs and more. I love that it has 2 removable bottle holders which I use to store Sophia's water bottle.
Even though it doesn't come with a long canvas strap like the other bags I've found that I don't need it as it has built in pram clips. These are genius and it looks very stylish hanging from my pram handle.
The only negative that I've found is that the inside pockets are not deep enough to fit nappies in. My nappies stick out and get dog eared but it is something that is only a small niggle.

I'm also a bit obsessed with this cottage garden print at the minute as its so beautiful and perfect for summer.
I would definitely recommend this bag as it would suit a newborn or older children. They have just brought out new designs and the penguin one especially looks fab!

I bought this bag myself and this review is all my own thoughts.

Primark Yellow Bag

I was currently rocking my Zara Mini City handbag which I still love but I have been wanting something a bit smaller now that I have finished work for maternity leave. I don't need to carry as much stuff or try and squeeze in my dinner.
I still need to carry my maternity notes everywhere that I go and some other non glamorous pregnancy essentials (breast pads anyone?).
I knew that I wanted a across the body bag so I can be hands free when I'm finally pushing my pram and I knew that I wanted a nice summery colour. I mainly wanted a pastel colour such as baby pink, blue or mint green but when I saw this bag I knew this was the perfect one. It only comes in bright yellow or black and my local store only had 2 yellow left and tonnes of black so it must be a popular pick.
Primark do have some super cute and cheap mini satchels at the moment which I nearly decided on one but I love this one so much more as it's a little bigger and has a front pocket. I really don't have anything negative to say apart from some of the Primark bags quality can be terrible. The last one left of the shelf the handle was stitched on all lopsided.

Anyway here are the positives:

* bright colour perfect for summer with contrasting black piping and zip. Looks super stylish.
* cheap! at only £8.00
* adjustable strap.
* good amount of pockets, good size front pocket with clasp, zip to main pocket and I smaller zipped compartment inside.
* small in size (not positive for everyone but it was just what I wanted).

As this bag has been such a hit I have seen it on eBay for buy it now prices of £20 which is crazy seeing as the RRP is only £8. If you can still get your hands on this bag I would recommend it as I plan to use it future summers to come.

Birthday Bag - Zara Office Mini City

So I have finally joined the club and got myself one of these beauties! and now I'm thinking why did I wait so long?

This bag is the bomb! There is no doubt about it it is perfect in every way, the size, the quality, the simplicity, the functionality, the chicness, the price tag. The list goes on but now that I've fell head over heels for it I now want it in Navy too but i believe that colour has been discontinued. I may settle and get the black one as well. I do feel like grey is perfect for spring though as it will go beautifully with the pastal colours that are currently making themselves known.

My favourite thing about this bag is the organisation as there is a pocket for everything. I love being able to give my most used items there own little space and it makes it so much easier to find what I need. I normally stand at my front door for ages fumbling for my keys or on the bus for my bus ticket but not any more as I know where everything will be.

I love how it isn't too small as well as I'm crap with tiny bags. I like to carry a decent amount of stuff with me and I will do a what's in my bag post soon so you can see what I carry around in here. I'm also enjoying using the shoulder strap as with most bags that is the first thing that I detatch and throw into the bottom of a draw never to be seen again. It is just a 10/10 for me.

My Birthday Wishlist - I'm 27 Next Week

So I'm 27 next week eek! and seeing as I'm nearly 6 months pregnant I haven't bought myself anything apart from 'essential' maternity clothes in a while :-P  All my wishlists are now 100% made up of things for the baby as babies need so many things and most are expensive and if I've not been buying those items then it's been things to decorate the nursery. But as it's my birthday I feel like I deserve something just for me personally which is still hard to do 100% without feeling guilty. So here goes:

Zara Office Mini City Bag - Grey £29.99
I remember wanting this in black ages ago but somehow I forgot about it but now it has come back to the forefront of my mind. It is simple and stunning. I love being organised and having a pocket for everything so this is what I want!

L'occitane Make Up Bag £6
I love the smallish size of these and they come in lots of pretty designs. I plan to use it in my Zara bag to store all my beauty essentials to keep my bag organised and tidy. You can pick them up on eBay for approximately £6

Benefit How To Look The Best At Everything Kit - Light £25.50
At the moment I haven't been bothering with make up but now that I am starting to feel like my normal self again I realise that the whole pregnancy glow thing is a myth and my skin isn't looking to great. This will help to cover any blemishes and help me fake some nice skin.

Burts Bees Mama Bee - Leg and Foot Cream £12.99
I love Burts Bees alot and I remember that they used to have a Mama Bee gift set but I can't find it but this is the product that I would most like to try from the range. I remember the coconut foot moisturiser being my favourite ever so I would like to give this ago.

Pink Linings Yummy Mummy Changing Bag £79.99
Yes this isn't 100% for me and is abit of a cheat item but I really want to indulge on it. I know that it is expensive and that I already have a nice Cosatto changing bag to match my pram but just look how beautiful it is. It also comes with a nappy changing matt and has lots of inside pockets and special storage areas for everything baby related. I am a sucker for bag organisation and this is just so pretty. It comes in loads of gorgeous designs but I love this Bee one best. I would feel proud to carry this bag around and as a first time mum I feel that this bag would be a great help.

Products that I'm lusting after the most

Even though I've only recently got a new Ted Baker handbag I have fallen head over heels in love with another bag. I am definitely more of a bag person that a shoe person. I love handbags!
Here is what is currently at the top of my very long wishlist:

Kate Spade Beau Bag
I love the classic black but I want this in red. It looks absolutely stunning and I know it's very expensive so I won't be able to get one but a girl can dream right. This is gorgeous and I could team it with red shoes or a red lip to set off the look. I first caught sight of this bag in either Marie Claire magazine and I'd never heard of the brand but now it is definitely on my radar.

Mac Lipstick in Vegas Volt
I am a huge fan of Mac Ravishing as it is definitely my favourite Mac shade. This shade looks similar to it, It's like Ravishing but on a better day. It is brighter and more pigmented than Ravishing so I definitely want to own Vegas Volt.

Laura Mercier Oil Free Tinted Moisturiser
This is a cult favourite among bloggers and I want to get involved and see what all the fuss is about. I would like to wear this as a stand alone complexion products. No foundation no primer no bb or cc creams just this alone to see how it fairs. I would also wear it alone as casual day make up as I don't wear foundation everyday anyway.

Nars Adult Content Blush Pallette
I have never tried any Nars blushers so I thought this would be a great way to be introduced to the product in love how you get a highlighter too so even though it's pricey I can see myself getting a lot of use out of this.

So that's it my current wishlist lustings, what do you think is there anything here that you own that you can give me advice on?

Jodie x

L'Occitane Ultra Rich skincare review

This is my introduction to the brand L'Occitane as I've never tried any of there products before.
I got a little clear zipped bag with 4 travel size products inside which are:
- Ultra rich body lotion 50ml
- Ultra rich shower cream 50ml
- Ultra rich face cream 10ml
- Dry skin hand cream 10ml

Each product contains shea butter and feels very soothing. I love the packaging how it is simple yet elegant. I love the nautical theme with this set how everything is white and blue down to the wash bag I don't know if this is on purpose or not but this set could also appeal to men or women.
The products are not scented but have a nice clean smell. I will definitely use them again and I am happy with the generous sizes in this travel set. Usually after one use there is none left in travel sets like the Benefit B. Right one as all the samples are tiny but I am happy with these sizes.

I don't yet have a favourite out of these 4 items as I love them all but I've seen that on feel unique they have larger sample gift sets available so I'm keen to try more.

I don't think this exact one if for sale anywhere as I got it as a freebie with a stationary offer from 3m.

Have you ever tried this brand before and what did you think?

Jodie x

What's in my bag...

Right now I have the stunning Ted Baker Suno bag which is current season. You may recognise this from a couple of my wishlist posts one you can see here
Inside it I have the following:

 

Ted Baker Rocksy Purse - Pink
I've had this since earlier in the year and I'm still in love with it. Usually I get bored with bags and purses pretty quick but there is something about Ted Baker style and quality that I love. full post here

 

Notebook
This is to store all my blogging ideas and wishlists.
more info here 

 

Burts Bees Lipbalm
This is a lovey peppermint scent which keeps my lips feeling soft and fresh throughout the day.

 

YSL Rouge Pur Couture Lipstick - 1 Le Rouge
This is my newest addition to my YSL lipstick family and what gal can't be without a classic bright red lipstick on hand.

 

Mac Creamsheen Lipstick - Ravishing
This tends to be my everyday lipstick and it's my favourite Mac shade.

 

Benefit Boi-ing concealer - 01
I like to carry this with me at all times incase of any eye make up mistakes that might occur throughout the day. Depending what eyeliner I wear I find its usually the kohl pencils that says smudge under the eye so I like to keep this with me to refresh under my eyes. full review here

 

Optrex Rehydrating Eye Drops
As I wear contact lenses my eyes can get pretty dry if I have had them in a full day or if it's a hot day so I like to use these to refresh my eyes. more info here

 

Nuxe Reve De Miel Handcream
This is my favourite hand cream, I know I've talked about it a lot lately but it's just so good. It soaks in instantaneously and leave my hands nice and soft without feeling greasy. It so smells amazing so win win. i got it in a travel set of mini items to try, you can see them all here

 

Paris Hilton perfume vials
These are quite cheap to buy as it's a old perfume now but I still love it's fresh feminine scent.

The Chanel 2.55 bag has always been my favourite bag from as far as I can remember

I have always said that if I won the lottery that this would be the first item that I would buy as I've dreamed about owning one for as long as I can remember.

I have even thought about renting one of these things! It Costs about £250 per month or you can rent it for just a weekend for a special occasion for cheaper. My husband thought I'd finally cracked and gone crazy when I suggested the idea. But the Chanel bag dream wasn't over!

Last Christmas I got this bag as a gift, now I'm not stupid I suspect it probably isn't authentic due to it costing hundreds rather than thousands of pounds but I cannot guarantee it nor rule it out. Anyway I am happy with it. It feels great quality and has very good detailing on it. If it isn't real it is a good copy. What lengths would you go to to get the look of your dream bag? The Chanel 2.55 bag is probably the most famous and sort after bag in the world!

My bag is black with gold detailing and I have had it 8 months and I love it. It is rather heavy though with the chain strap. The chain can be worn long across the body or doubled up to fit nicely over the shoulder.

What do you think of this? Would you ever risk your money in getting a possible fake or would you consider renting a designer bag?

Jodie x

Vintage bag find in the second hand shop

It seems rare these days but sometimes I come across some gems in the second hand shop and here is one of those.

This is a across the body bag in navy blue it's approx 10cm x 7 x 3 cms with a gold lock.
I'd been after a small across the body bag for a while for the days where I don't need to carry as much round with me, as on a usual day I carry my Ted Baker Mardun bag around which can get pretty heavy.

Anyway this was only £3.50 and I think it's a great find. I've never heard of the brand but that doesn't matter.

Have you found any bargains in the charity shops?