My Baby Awards! 10 products that we have found to be better than all the rest

All the products that i have mentioned is in comparison to other brands that I have tried and tested. Some things that I love won't be included as I've not tried anything else so I don't have anything to compare it to.

Here are the products that I have found to be the best of the best in my own opinion:

1. Boots Soft Cloth Baby Wipes, these are just amazing! They are fragrance free and so soft and gentle and just work really well. My main positive is that there is no dragging on the skin at all. Just soft and gentle. I have found Pampers, Huggies, Sainsburys and Johnsons to all drag on the skin but not these. Also they are cheaper than all of the above.
2. Next clothing especially babygrows the quality of these just blow the other brands out of the water. They last well and stay soft not to mention they have the cutest designs going! I could be biased as we have about 6 with cats on <3 but the quality is just A1. They are a little more pricey than other brands but I guess you get what you pay for with these. I feel like I owe a special mention to Tu Sainsburys as these are also amazing quality and have cute designs.
3. Pampers Baby Dry Nappies I didn't want to be a Pampers snob but I now totally am oops. The baby dry are so soft, thin and comfortable looking compared to other bulky ones out there and these hold much more and as they say keep my baby dry. I can be confident that I can put one on before bed and she will be dry in the morning even after having at least 2 wees. I have tried other stores own brands and been disappointed and also I'm disappointed with the others from the Pampers range such as the New Baby as these leak and won't hold much wee. You just need to make sure not to go up a size too soon as I made that mistake with the baby dry and woke up in a puddle, so that was my fault. These are so nice and slim and have cute designs compared to Sainsburys Little Ones and Asda Angels which don't keep her dry.
4. Asda Little Angels Baby Powder this is great quality and I prefer it to Johnsons which is fragranced urgh.
5. Anbesol liquid, for teething. You put it on her gum and it numbs it for a little while giving short term relief. Cons, it is pricey compared to others and you can only use it every 3 hours but I would recommend it over other.
6. Calpol is the best for pain, fever and general unwellness. I find she takes it off the spoon well. Special mention to Nurofen for babies this is more or less the same but has quite a wide pipette so is not as easy to give her.
7. Simple Baby All in One Wash I really like this and feel that I can use it if we share a bath. The fragrance is really gentle and it bubbles up well. Special mention to Asda Angels which she likes and is gentle on her skin.
8. Nuby teething toys are great for her to chew on and light for her to hold. They are pretty cheap as well so that's a plus. Special mention to Lamaze toys which she also loves but they aren't as easy to get the certain ones that you want and they cost more.
9. Snufflebabe have the best products for when she has had a cold with their chest run and saline nose drops.
10. Bepanthem nappy cream does what it needs to do and I find it easier to apply than the thicker Sudocrem and also more hygienic because it's in a tube not a tub.

Other Special mentions:
- Big Bugs Band TV show
- Pink Lining Yummy Mummy Changing Bag
- Cosatto Easi Peasi Changer and Bath

Tip of the day: don't get a pram that has inner tubes in the tyres. I work in a bike shop and see people coming in all the time with punctures. The shop doesn't always have time to fix it there and then. If so it can be costly and it may mean waking your baby to get it out of the pram whilst it's done. Overall it's a complete nightmare so don't do it!

Co-Sleeping, my story. The reality behind the controversy

Co-sleeping was something briefly mentioned at parenting class which was frowned upon and has lots of controversy surrounding it. I sat there and thought oh I'll never do that! 

Fast forward to a 2 week old baby who will only fall asleep in my arms. As soon as I gently transfer her to her moses basket and tip toe into bed BOOM she is awake. It was so cruel on my sanity, she would be asleep and I would stand there for 5 minutes staring over her thinking can I actually sleep? And just when you let yourself believe that you might get some sleep and settle into bed. It feels good and pull the duvet up she would wake up. It would be so depressing, I felt desperate. I spent the first couple of weeks breastfeeding her on the couch and holding her in my arms whilst she slept I unfortunately didn't.
She would fall asleep in her electric swing but no where else and you are not allowed to leave them to sleep in swings or car seats as it is bad for their posture.

When my husband went to work after 2 weeks I found myself resided to the couch when she woke so it didn't wake him up, as before I would sit up in bed and feed her but I felt like I couldn't. I was exhausted and found myself nodding off with her in my arms on the couch which is very dangerous and often how babies get suffocated. One night my husband suggested bringing her to bed. I think he meant for me to get her to sleep in bed and then put her in her basket next to the bed but I knew she when she did fall asleep so did I. The midwife at the hospital showed me the correct position for feeding my her whilst lied down in bed. On your side with your baby under your arm and one leg over the other so you physically cannot roll over onto your baby. My arm around her protects her from my husband if he came too close or if one of my cats jumped on the bed.
This night I slept and it was wonderful! The first night in a long time where I got a decent amount of uninterrupted sleep. I felt like a new person and it was definitely a turning point!

Yes me and my husband were scared that we would hurt her in some way but I am a light sleeper and would wake up at any sudden movement from my husband or cats. I made sure that the bed cover was only up to her chest which meant that the majority of my upper body was without cover and I am cold so I wait for her to finish feeding and then try to carefully lower myself under the cover.
Part of this is my fault and I was warned by my health visitor as she uses me as comfort. She doesn't have a dummy (and would spit it out when we tried) she doesn't always feed from me but suckles for comfort which is how she always falls asleep. At first I didn't mind as anything for peace and happiness, but now she is approaching 6 months old and we want to get her into her cot in her own room I will pay the price.
Co-Sleeping is so convenient as she can feed whenever she wants and we never get up in the night anymore. Also due to this she never wakes up as much as if I would put the light on and get up etc as that would make her wide awake and take a long time to settle. So now she might feed or suckle in the dark and more or less goes back to sleep straight away with no fuss.

I'm the news it is classed as dangerous but when you look at the figures the babies who sadly were smothered by parents it was due to them not following the correct guidelines and procedures they had drank alcohol, smoked or took medication before bed which is a no no. Co-Sleeping can be done safely but it was a last resort for me and my sanity as I did try her in her moses basket. I never wanted to cosleep. 

Co-sleeping does have positives and negatives like everything, here are my main ones:
Negatives:
*No husband cuddles
*I get a dead arm and mostly have to lie in a uncomfortable position.
* my sleep quality isn't very good as I'm so cautious.
* I've had a very bad back since having her and I blame this partly as it's uncomfortable and my back is cold.
* Now that she is bigger she takes up all the room as she likes to lie on her back with her arms spread out. She always loved this and would wake up in her basket as she touched the sides. Also she didn't like being swaddled and would wriggle her arms free.

Positives:
* I actually get some sleep even if it's not the best quality it is sleep!
* It's so easy to feed her and I don't have to get up in the night.
* I feel secure with her next to me as I know that she is settled, happy and safe. I love to gaze at her and listen to her breathing (sometimes snoring hehe).
* She settles quicker as babies are used to mums smell, warmth, heartbeat and breathing noises when they are growing inside you and she gets this comfort when she is cuddled next to me.
* If she does wake we both go back to sleep fairly quickly due to the hormones in breastfeeding.

If you look at other mammals they all sleep with their young, there is only us who doesn't so like breastfeeding it is the most natural thing to do.

If we do have another child I would not want to do it again but I would if I had to. You can buy a Co-Sleeping pod bed things which I would look into. It is a crib that adjusts in height that fixes to the side of my bed. It is very safe and the baby can feel like it's Co-sleeping and I would have the feeding convenience and them hopefully put them in there little bed pod, yet still have my own bed room. It's a great idea but they are expensive.

So Co-Sleeping goes hand in hand with breastfeeding and if you are thinking about it I would read the NICE guidelines. It is not for everyone but it can be done safely and happily.

Jodie x

Breastfeeding, my story

So breastfeeding isn't for everyone for lots of reasons but I especially thought that it wouldn't be for me. I've always had sensitive nipples and I didn't like them being touched, so I thought that I would hate it. I promised myself and my husband then when the time came that I would try.

My daughter Sophia was born in July this year and within the first few hours they want to get your baby to feed. To be honest I can't remember this due to all the drugs that I had but I do remember that night the nurse waking me up every 2-3 hours to wake Sophia up to feed her! It sounds crazy but yes I had to wake her up to feed. This is only in the beginning as your baby literally has to feed from your boobs 24/7 to make your milk 'come in'. In this time you have colostrum milk so you don't have nothing but most breastfed babies are expected to lose up to 10% of their bodyweight waiting for your mature milk. It can take up to 5 days to come in but I was lucky and it came in on day 2. Sophia had put weight on before we came home from the hospital which was great news as they expect a loss.

Anyway at first breastfeeding hurts! It really does it feels like hell. My nipples were all raw, sore and blistered and each time she fed it was excruciating. At first babies don't know how to latch on and as I was in hospital for 5 days I would press my buzzer each time and a nurse would have to latch her on for me as I couldn't do it. Eventually she grasped it but I feel like if I would have left hospital earlier like most mums do say on day 2 I probably would have given up. So your nipples hurt and your baby needs to feed constantly and your tired from sleeping in 2 hour intervals if your lucky and you are hating this. Hang in there momma because it will get better I promise! I got relief with Lansinoh Lanolin cream this stuff is my holy grail and a must buy! I still use it now. It is a cream that you put on your nipple and it helps it to heal quicker and keeps it moisturised and soft, your baby can feed with it on so you don't have to wash it off.

There are lots of positives for breastfeeding here are my favourites:
* Weight loss! My tummy was gone after 2 weeks and I did no exercise.
* It's free!
* Convenience, when babies are crying and you think they might be hungry you can just pop your boob in its mouth and have a instant answer! but with formula you'd have to make a bottle and let it cool all whilst your baby is screaming. Urgh. Also no sterilising.
* Close bond. I feel like I have a closer bond with my daughter as I get special looks from her that no one else sees when she is eating and milky drunk (cutest face ever). She also does other cute stuff like hold on to my top or finger with her free hand or massages my boob like a kneeding kitten.
* Bigger boobs. It's true I've gone up at least a couple of cup sizes.

Your breaking point will come
Mine came when I was about 2 weeks in. I was tired and my nipples hurt alot and I felt like I was in it alone. Even though my husband was here only me got up in the night with her as only me could feed her. I was exhausted and snapped. At this night feed I felt like I could go no further and I gave her formula. She drank it but I felt terribly guilty and cried. At this moment I thought I would never breastfeed ever again. The next day as I'd not breastfed her my boobs were huge, hard, sore and leaky it wasn't good. My husband and mother in law took care of her for a couple of hours whilst I had a bath and a couple of hours sleep. The first bit of time that I had to myself since having her. As my boobs were sore from not feeding her now I just popped her on to relieve some of the pressure and surprisingly it didn't hurt as much! My nipples had had a well deserved rest! It still hurt but I was over the worst. I continued my Lansinoh cream and it gradually got better. At this point I thought that we would combo feed her both as my husband could help more but I felt like it didn't settle as well on her stomach. It made her more sick so after 2/3 weeks we went back to exclusively breastfeeding.
Having the support was very important in breastfeeding as there were breastfeeding support workers at the hospital and one continued to visit me at home. This support was vital as I could ask any questions I had 24/7 as they give you their mobile number. They also told me about a local breastfeeding group in my area which I attended. At first with her feeding so much I was a recluse but this felt good to go out and have a reason to get dressed once a week. It was great to meet other mums going through the same thing. Also support from family was vital as at my age (27) no one was breastfed in either of our families as formula was pushed back then. They needed to understand why I was doing this and not hogging the baby so no one else could feed her. Breastfeeding is so good for both mother and baby. As well as help to protect the mum from cancers it has everything your baby needs. A breastfed baby will not need water or anything just your milk until 6 months when you start to wean but then your baby will get the majority of its nutrition from your milk.
I know that you can pump your milk into a bottle so I tried this with a manual pump. It hurts even though her feeding no longer does. It works different from her mouth. I tried it and she wouldn't drink my milk out of a bottle something which are working to overcome so that she can start to be minded by Grandparents every once in a while.

Things that I found that help apart from the Lanolin cream are:
* Nursing bras, these have a little clip at the top so it pulls down easily.
* Nursing tops especially these from Blooming Marvellous. It looks like there is a vest underneath but there isn't. You just pull the material to the side and unclip your bra and your away.
* Reusable bamboo breast pads, I was spending £8 per month on disposables but these are approx £8 for 6. They are more comfortable, environmentally friendly and reusable.
* Breastvest, this is a vest but doesn't cover your boobs so you can wear your own top over it and lift that and your baby can feed without everyone seeing your skin. Nice and discrete. This is something that I wish I'd discovered sooner as I've been wearing the same 3 tops urgh. I have yet to try this (soon) but I imagine that it is amazing!

Fun nuggets of info
* she has a favourite boob.
* when she is feeding from one boob the other leaks and it can squirt very far like a fountain. So be prepared.
* I feel like breastfeeding helped her get great head control very early on as she had to reach for my nipple herself rather than being lied back and bottle fed.

So there you go I love breastfeeding. I understand that it is not for everyone as some mothers cannot do it for lots of reasons or they just don't want to which is fine as well.
I've had a great time with Sophia but if we have another in the future i understand that it may not be the same and I might not be able to do it again. Also it requires alot of time. At first I literally stuck on the couch feeding her all day, I would have to have my food brought to me and eat it with one hand and I've even had to take her to the loo not ideal but anything for a happy baby. When you have another young child you might not have all day to sit with a baby attached to your boob.
I hope to continue to breastfeed her until she is about 1.5 years old but we will have to see. I get alit of satisfaction seeing her develop knowing that all her nutrition is from me.
Jodie x

Rimmel Kate 107, does it live up to all the hype?

So after seeing the all famous Rimmel Kate Moss matte lipstick in the shade 107 all over every blog these past few months, I decided to see what all the hype was about.
I've always been a peachy/coral or pillar box red lip kind of girl but as Autumn approached I decided that finally it was time to buy a darker seasonal lip shade. I have never liked the bright fushia pinks and purples of lipsticks so I knew that I didn't want a dark purpley berry shade so I decided that a vampy dark red was going to the one. I didn't want to spend too much money on it incase I didn't like it so I decided on the Rimmel Kate lipstick. I already have the shade 111 Kiss of Life from this range which i do like.
As it is such a hyped up colourway it is quite hard to get hold of chances are that it will be sold out in stores. I added it onto one of my recent Amazon orders for baby teethers (I'm allowed to treat myself once in a while right?).
At first I tried it at home but it was dark by 3pm so I felt that i didn't get a accurate view of the colour without natural daylight. A few days later and I was off to town and decided that it was time to try it out for the day.
These lipsticks do have their own strong sweet scent which isn't for everyone but it doesn't bother me that much. It is high maintenance to apply such a dark colour precisely to the lips and I would usually use a lip brush but I was in a rush so I didn't. I do like the formula of these as they apply smooth but it really didn't wear long I would say 2 hours max and then you need to reapply as it looks a mess and patchy. I felt that it didn't really set and would very easily smudge or transfer. I felt that I had to constantly re apply something which I don't like so I probably won't wear this much. I felt that I get longer wear from the shade 111? Maybe that is dryer?
Overall I am not overwhelmed by this and I didn't find the shade dark and vampy at all. It is just a darkish red and not what I hoped for. I do not believe that it is worth all the hype that it gets and that is just my opinion.

My 2015 diary/planner of choice: Busy B busy life diary and matching sticky notes

I'm not usually a diary/planner person but I am a crazy list maker who loves to be organised. I usually use apps (Google Keep) so that my lists are in one place and easy accessible but now that I'm a mum it isn't enough.

I have found a amazing diary/planner by Busy B that is compact enough to carry around and each week is laid out to fit 2 schedules out nicely. It also has numerous pockets to keep bits and bobs in. Pages for reminders, notes, contacts etc.
I plan to use the 2 schedule planner as one for me and my husband and the other for our daughter mainly to fill out what meals are for each day. As we are due to wean her soon and this way I will be able to keep tabs of what she eats each day.

I couldn't resist but I have also purchased the matching sticky notes for this and I can imagine my diary getting full of these very quickly.

This brand do a family diary which is larger that I was torn between but I'm glad that I got this as I can carry it around. It is a bit smaller than A5 and has room for a pen.

You can buy it separately or along with the sticky notes for £10.98 here

The perfect pink nude lip combo

So lip liners are having a moment and I thought that I would root through my stash.
I have been lusting over the Charlotte Tilbury one in Pillow talk but it is rather pricey. It looks like a nice pinky nude shade that would go with alot of lipsticks. I have found that I already have the perfect one and it's a purse friendly price.

My favourite lip liner is the NYX 858 in Nude Pink. The formula is good but not as creamy as high end ones.
I love to match it with my Illamasqua Glamore Lipstick in Rosepout. They are the perfect combo! On my swatch picture the liner is on the left and my lipstick on the right.

Jodie x

Invisibobble updated review after a few weeks use

So I have been wearing the invisibobble almost daily for the past few weeks and I feel that I can now give a in depth review of it.
The claims:
1. doesn't leave a kink
2. doesn't stretch
3. doesn't pull out hair
4. doesn't tug on hair
5. comfortable to wear to bed.

My conclusion is that I like the product and I will continue to wear it but it does not live up to all these claims.

1. This is the main reason for me buying the product as I wanted to secure my hair without kinking but unfortunately it did kink. But only abit, not as much as other bobbles. I tested the kink theory after washing/drying/straightening my hair for a day so it was poker straight and then put in my invisibobble to bed. When I took it out in the morning I was looking forward to just giving my hair a quick brush and expecting the same perfectly straight hair the same way as the day before but no there was a slight kink. No matter how prominent it still needed to be straightened out saving me no time. To be fair usually you can't straighten kinks our I find and you would either need to wear your hair up again that day or to wash it. But a quick straighten with my irons did the job.

2. I have found that wearing the same one for 2 weeks has stretched it, as an first it would only take 2 wraps to secure my hair, then 3 and now finally 4. You can also see that the product is visibly stretched. When I wake up in this product I do find that it has slipped abit down my hair and that it has lost some of its secure grip on my hair. I do however have long thick hair and I have been testing it in a low pony tail. So if you have thin hair then it might stay in place better if your hair isn't as heavy.

3. I have found that it has caught and pulled out a few hairs but not many at all! This is hard for me to accurately review as I am post pregnancy and my hair is falling out in huge clumps anyway, urgh. (all normal so I am told).

4. I can confirm that it does not pull tightly on my hair therefore being very comfortable to wear and not causing me any headaches. This is my favourite thing about this bobble as I am prone to headaches.

5. Even though it is plastic it is very comfortable to wear to bed as it is thin plastic and has lots of springy movement. It does not dig in your head at all. I gave worn it in my hair to bed since I got it and I will continue to do so. I never used to sleep with my hair up but as we are co-sleeping I need to keep my hair tucked away safely from my baby.

Overall great product for the price that I will continue tool use but it isn't a miracle worker against those pesky kinks.

On my picture from left to right: worn since the day of purchase and is the most stretched, the middle one has been worn for 3 days and the one on the far right has never been used.

Jodie x

#FOTD with the Charlotte Tilbury Dolce Vita palette

This is my current favourite palette. It is so luxurious and I think the colours are just stunning but very wearable.

To get this look I am wearing:
* garnier bb cream
* benefit hello flawless powder
* anastasia dipbrow pomade
* charlotte tilbury dolce vita eyeshadow palette
* benefit bad gal smudge eye liner
* eyeko liquid eyeliner

*benefit boi-ing concealer 

* bobbi brown pink coral blusher 

* benefit they're real mascara
* charlotte tilbury confession lipstick
* charlotte tilbury lucy in the sky with diamonds lip lustre.

Have you purchased any of the Charlotte Tilbury luxury eyeshadow palettes yet and if so which is your favourite? X

Charlotte Tilbury Lipstick Charms now available!

This is something else on my Christmas list from the wonderful Charlotte Tilbury.

A small trio of her K.I.S.S.I.N.G lipsticks they are tiny at 1g each but just look how cute they are! The regular fullsize lipsticks are 3.5g each. The set consists of her best selling colours which are:

* Bitch Perfect
* Penelope Pink
* So Marilyn

I haven't tried any of these so I am so excited about this set. It is currently £29 from Selfridges.

My top 5 perfumes of all time

Here are my top 5 perfumes of all time.

1. Gucci Rush - The original one not the Gucci Rush 2. This is my signature fragrance that I have worn ever since I was 18 and it is still 'me' to this day. It is also the scent that I wore on my wedding day.

2. Elizabeth Arden Untold - I discovered this in a Glossybox and I absolutely love it! It smells so delicious and luxe.

3. Juicy Couture Viva La Juicy Noir - Another that I discovered in a Glossybox. It is a scent that I would never have thought of trying due to the 'chavy' brand urgh. But thus does smell gorgeous. It is a perfect party scene something I would save for evening wear.

4. Paris Hilton - another original scent. She has brought out lots of scents but the original is my favourite and thankfully now you can pick it up pretty cheap. I bought a bunch of vials on eBay for cheap and I keep one in my handbag at all times. It is a very pretty feminine scent. 

5. Katy Perry Meow - as a reknown cat lady who could resist. This is another scent that can be picked up cheap that I love the smell of.

How I conceal my dark under eye circles

As a new mum I don't get as much sleep as I used to. The days of a lazy lie in are now a thing of the past.
In the first few weeks I was lucky to get 2 hours interrupted and I had serious dark under eye circles, like punched in the face dark.
Anyway here is what I use to conceal them like a pro.

First off I wash my face using a cleanser that requires water to wash off. Such as my Nivea foaming facial cleanser. Wash this off with luke warm water and even splash on abit of cold afterwards. This helps to de-puff under the eye.
Moisturise as normal (that's right I don't have time to use toner lol) I use Benefits It's potent eye cream and Garnier Moisture Match gel for dull skin. Let this soak in for about 15 mins. I then start to apply my makeup starting with concealer as I don't wear a foundation.

How I conceal:
My secret weapon is Bobbi Brown's under eye corrector. I got matched to shade extra light bisque. This is a peachy corrector cream that counteracts the under eye red/purpleness. It doesn't work 100% so don't expect miracles but once you put your concealer over it you can tell the difference. I also have the matching concealer/powder duo but I prefer to use the more heavy duty Benefit Boi-ing in the shade light. I then set with a powder straight away, I use Benefit Hello Flawless. And viola I look like a normal none sleep deprived person. If only I could now keep my eyes open lol.

Invisibobble first impressions

So since becoming a mum I more often than not wear my hair in a pony tail. This is due to my now 4 month old tugging on it and it generally getting in the way.

I've always hated how after going to the effort of straightening my hair and then quickly tying it up to do a small task that the bobble will leave a prominent kink in my hair. You can clearly see where the bobble has been and then my perfectly straight hair is now ruined.

So I've researched online and there are a couple of bobble brands that claim to eliminate this issue! Which are the Invisibobble and the Twistband. I decided to try the Invisibobble due to them being less than half the price.
The Invisibobble can be bought in a pack of 3 from Feel Unique for £3.75.

I bought the shade Apple Appeal which is a cute light green pastel shade.

My first thought it that they are smaller than I imaged but a perfect size to tie up my hair. Just 2 wraps for loose pony tail or 3 for a tight up sturdy pony tail. Both don't budge as I hate having a loose pony and throughout the day the bobble works it way further down and eventually falling out.
Another good point is as they don't pull on the hair they won't give you a headache.
I know that they aren't the most aesthetically pleasing due to their telephone cord like design but are soft enough to wear to bed and be comfortable.

I will post a update on the no kinking when I have had chance to review them for longer. But my first impressions are good.

Pink Lining Yummy Mummy Changing Bag Review

As a person who loves handbags (who doesnt) I knew that I needed something special as my baby changing bag. I get bored of bags very quickly but I knew that keep buying different baby bags wasn't a option as I would soon be poor lol. So very early on into my pregnancy I quickly decided on a Yummy Mummy due to their cute and quirky design. These bags come in lots of different seasonal designs and I knew that I liked the cute Bee and Stardust print. The only problem was that they are £79 eek and with it being our first baby we still had lots to buy.Buy Here

I kept an eye out on websites and eventually through Bounty on Facebook, Precious Little Ones had them on sale at £45 so when this offer came on I was there! If you keep a look out they do do these sales quite frequently in the Pink Lining bags but it's usually the less popular Mama Bebe bags but look around as they do come up. You can usually buy last seasons designs in the sale from stockists as well.

I knew that this bag was a investment as it will have to go through tonnes of daily wear and tear and it is built for that. It is made from wipe clean waterproof material and has very big sturdy handles.
It features pockets for everything which to a organisation freak like me it was heaven. A pocket for everything that's the dream lol. So my baby is now 4 months old and I feel like I have had a good amount of time to test this bag out and form a opinion. I even used it as my hospital bag.
Here are it's features:

* Designated nappy pockets
* Bottle pockets that apparently keeps it warm for a good amount of time. (I've not tested this as I breastfeed).
* Keys holder clip on a piece of elastic - perfect reach to the front door without needing to unclip.
* Pen pocket. 

* Detachable mirror 

* Lots of internal pockets for your stuff including a zip pocket and front flap pocket for easy access to things such as your phone or bus ticket. No fussing about. 

* My favourite thing is that it comes with a good quality cushioned nappy changing mat! (with cute cupcakes on) As even when you go to places with their own changer I dont want my baby possibly lying in someone else's filth so I put my mat down. It is wipe clean and can be used anywhere such as the floor for a quick and comfortable change.
* It comes with its own zip plastic bag. This is useful for if my baby has been sick on her top and it's minging. I can change her and put the dirty top zipped away in here away from the rest of my bag.

Overall this bag is a winner! 5/5 from me.
Its very practical and aesthetically pleasing.
I also find that they keep their value well if I ever wanted to sell it on. I would have paid the full £79 as I do think that it is worth it but if it's on sale then it's a bonus. I find that I get lots of compliments when I'm out and about with it to.

Jodie x

Review: Charlotte Tilbury The Supermodel Look

So after lots of anticipation I had to get it. This palette apparently gives you the ultimate sexy smokey eye using these 4 shades.

Like everything else of Charlotte's the packaging is very luxurious and stunning. It oozes retro glamour!

These are special edition pieces which are
*The Supermodel palette
*Confession Lipstick (oops forgot to photograph)
*Lucy in the sky with diamonds lip lustre

After the initial excitement has worn off I am very happy with these products but not everything is positive.
The lipstick has lots of gold glitter in it which I knew about but because of this it isn't a colour that I will wear everyday. It does look gorgeous paired with the lip lustre though.
The colour payoff in the palette isn't as good as the Dolce Vita dry. You can use these shadows wet to give a more pigmented look but with the Dolce Vita you get that intensity straight away. I also find that there is some colour fallout with these shadows and I am a tiny bit disappointed with the quality.

Overall as a Christmas present this is a very special gift and worth the money.
Are you going to be purchasing any of these pieces?
Jodie x

October favourites

So here is what I've been reaching for the most this past month.

* Anastasia dipbrow pomade in dark brown. I don't think that need any other eyebrow product ever.
* Garnier BB cream, I bought loads of sachets of eBay cheap to trial it and I love it! The colour is nice and it just feels like a moisturiser on the skin.
* Eyeko liquid eyeliner pen
* Charlotte Tilbury dolce vita palette
* Nars matte lip pencil in dolce vita
* Rimmel colour rush balm in on fire. This is the easiest red lip ever and very low maintenance and comfortable to wear!

What have you been wearing the most recently?
I'm so bored of seeing posts about berry lip colours now that it's autumn. I won't be buying one but I will be wearing a bold red lip more and not just saving it for special occasions.

Jodie x

Sneak peek at the Charlotte Tilbury Supermodel Collection

This had been my most anticipated launch of the year and for Christmas I have got myself The Supermodel Look.
This includes the Fallen Angel palette, Confession lipstick and the Lucy in the sky with diamonds lip gloss. All these are limited edition and will sell out very soon.
They are as beautiful as I imagined.

Autumn/Winter Clothing Wishlist

There are so many awesome coats around this year and I probably won't be picking up a new one as I still have my trusty Topshop 3 in 1 Parka coat and a couple of others, but that won't stop me from wanting one though!

On my wishlist I have
*Ravel Washington Boots £80
*South Fur Collar Coat £65
*Camel Coat from ebay £20
*Fiorelli Mani Tote £65

Apart from the coats being pretty I love these over the knee boots from Ravel. The only question is will they fit over skinny jeans? I bought some knee boots from Iron Fist and annoyingly they don't fit over jeans so I hardly wear them.
I love the Fiorelli bag as it looks a good size like it would make a good baby changing bag. I have my Pink Lining Yummy Mummy one at the moment but I would like this as well as it's abit more stylish .
So this is my apparel Wishlist I may see what goes in the January sales.

My Christmas Wishlist

So it's that time of year and I admit I have already started my Christmas shopping.
Here is a round up of my wishlist for this year. It is mostly Charlotte Tilbury as this woman can just do no wrong lol.

Charlotte Tilbury Fallen Angel Palette - This is the perfect smokey eye palette. I have declared my love for it in many posts so I won't go on.

Charlotte Tilbury Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds Lipstick Lustre - I admit I only want this to complete The Supermodel collection as I already have the Confession lipstick. I am not blown over by it and a part of me thinks that this might make it come alive and me think oh yeah there it is? Who knows.

Charlotte Tilbury Lipstick Charms -
Oh my these are the cutest mini lipsticks ever! You get 3 lipsticks which are Penelope Pink, Bitch Perfect and So Marilyn. What a great way to try them out as the first two look very similar from online swatches and you can't go wrong with a bright red. I wish she would do 3 matte lipstick charms that would just be amazing.

Slipknot, Korn Standing Tickets - well my husband has already bought this so it is kind of cheating but we do not have them in our hands to hold just yet. We missed out seeing them 5 years ago due to it selling out. We bought tickets on eBay for twice the price and then they never turned out. We got our money back but we have regretted not seeing Slipknot for years! We have seen Korn twice but we still love them as well. This will be a special trip as our daughter will be 6 months by this gig and I'm dreading leaving her for the evening but I know I have to and I will enjoy a rare night out with my husband.

Nars Matte Lip Pencil in Cruella - since I've got the Dolce Vita shade I can't get how comfortable and easy it is to wear and I know a bright red lip is high maintenance. I have the YSL Rouge pur couture in 01 and it is a pain in the arse to apply and maintain. I do love a bright red lip and I'm thinking that a matte formula is the way to go so watch this space. Yes I have tried the Rimmel Kate lipsticks but it is still not hitting the spot for me.

So that's my wishlist. What are you hoping for this year?

Charlotte Tilbury The Supermodel Look, Online Exclusive

So I have been waiting for The Supermodel look to be released for what feels like eternity and here it is! It is currently only available via the Charlotte Tilbury website but it will be released into shops soon.

It features the Fallen Angel palette £45
This is the perfect sexy smokey eye palette and the shadows can be used wet or dry. It is limited edition so I expect it to sell out fast.
K. I. S. S. I. N. G lipstick in the shade Confession £23  this is a tawny nude with flecks of gold throughout. Totally gorgeous!.
Lip Luster Gloss in the shade Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds £16.50. A pinky nude champagne with lots of sparkle.

You can buy this in a very special gift set with other items to recreate Charlottes Supermodel vision complete with a talking gift box for £200.
For me it's all about this gorgeous palette it just looks stunning.
I am also waiting for the mini lipstick charms as part of her Holiday release but these are not out until November.

Are you going to be buying any of the new Charlotte Tilbury range?

My favourite Mac nude lipsticks

Seeing as nude lips are a must have this Autumn I have picked out my 2 favourites and they both happen to be by Mac.

1. Mac pro longwear - To The Future (L)
2. Mac satin - Myth (R)

I absolutely love To The Future and it is my go to nude. I know everyone loves Myth so I like to wear something a little bit different than everyone else.
To The Future is more pink toned than Myth so it doesn't leave me looking to washed out. Mac lipsticks are so comfortable to wear and they have that good enough to eat vanilla scent.

What is your favourite nude lipstick?

Casual #fotd

So here is my everyday makeup look, I am wearing the following:

* Garnier BB cream
* Benefit boi-ing concealer
* Benefit hello flawless powder
* Bobbi Brown blusher - pink coral
* Anastasia Beverley Hills dipbrow pomade
* Benefit High Brow

*Benefit most glamorous nudes eyeshadow kit
*eyeko liquid eyeliner
*Illamasqua Glamore lipstick - rosepout

I didn't mean for it to be so Benefit heavy but the products are from 2 kits one being  the How To Look The Best At Everything and the other being the World Famous Neutrals eyeshadow kit.

I would love to wear mascara but it rubs on my glasses which is super annoying. So I save it for contact lense days. 

I am loving the Anastasia dipbrow stuff it is amazing! I am now converted from powder. Sorry Benefit Brow Zings. X

Current Autumn Wishlist

Here is what I am currently lusting after and it includes alot of Charlotte Tilbury. As a new mum I need to be practical as this bag from Fiorelli - the Mani tote could make a perfect baby changing bag as it would fit all my mummy necessities in and more.
I love the camel coats around at the moment but they are all dry clean only which I'm thinking isn't a good idea for me as just one bit of baby sick = a expensive trip to the cleaners. My favourite Charlotte Tilbury products are the Dolce Vita palette and one or two of the new matte revolution lipsticks. I really want to try Amazing Grace!

So this is my current wishlist :-)

Nars Dolce Vita Matte Lip Pencil

So I know that I am late to the bandwagon on this product but I have only just discovered that it existed.
I saw a picture on another blog (Killer Colours) of her wearing it and I instantly fell in love with the colour of it. It is a your lips but better colour and also matte lips are huge this season.

I have hunted and searched many online shops for this as it seems that it has been discontinued. I eventually found it on eBay after lots of perseverance.

It is so comfortable on the lips for a matte lip pencil and the colour is a perfect pairing for a smokey eye. It can be worn day or night and is a new staple in my handbag.

Nars also do this colourway in a sheer lipstick which is now on my wishlist.

Have you tried any Nars Dolce Vita products?

Anastasia Dipbrow Pomade Review

I have been loyal to my Benefit Brow Zings for a couple of years now which is both a powder and a wax product that I find can be time consuming to apply. So i was looking for something quicker to apply, I have tried brow pencils but for some reason I just cannot get along with them at all.
So after reading all the hype about the Anastasia Dipbrow I immediately wanted to try it.

I bought the shade dark brown after looking at numerous online swatches which was abit of gamble. The chocolate and dark brown look more or less the same.

This product is darker than my brow zings and I find it matches my brows very well and can look more natural than powder.
The staying power is immense with this stuff I struggle to get it off haha. I use my Anastasia no. 12 brush to apply it which I find it perfect. It has a spooley at one end and a nice stiff angled brush on the other.  A little of this product goes along way so once I have abit on my brush I dab any excess off on the back of my hand before I start as I don't want them to look to drawn on.

Overall yes it does live up to the hype and I am very happy with it. I am still getting used to it so I probably haven't shaved any time of my brow routine yet as I am trying to be so careful.

Have you tried this yet?

Illamasqua Glamore Lipstick - Rosepout

I love makeup but my vice is no doubt lipstick! I am obsessed. I had never tried a Illamasqua lipstick before and I've only tried their cream foundation which I wasn't impressed by, it smelled plasticy and dried in patches on my skin.
Not to be put off as these Glamore lipsticks where calling my name - especially the shade Rosepout.

I gave in and purchased it and I'm so glad that I did. It is just beautiful! It is very pigmented and not drying at all, I can't stop reaching for it, I like the packaging and it doesn't smell bad.
As a new mum I don't have much time for makeup these days but this is just a great throw on even on a bare face. It is now a staple in my handbag.
The colour is very pretty and not too light pink which I half expected it to be. I honestly wasn't expecting much from this lipstick but I have been left pleasantly surprised! I have been reaching for it more than my new Charlotte Tilbury lipstick so that says something.
Have you tried any of the Glamore lipsticks?

Magazine advertising - is it getting ridiculous?

So I've recently just bought the travel size version of my favourite magazine - Elle (October 2014). I'm quite fussy I will only buy the smaller travel size of any magazine as if a shop has the larger one but no travel size I won't buy it. Anyway so I've bought it and as usual my handbag now weighs a absolute tonne. These travel size magazines are barely travel size anymore due to the insane amount of adverts in there.
I realised this last month when there was about 20 full pages of adverts just before the contents page Wtf!
To cut down the weight of my magazine and to prove a point I decided to rip out all the pages with double sided adverts. So this does not include all the one page ads with magazine content on the other side (which there are alot of) it also doesn't Include the Elle Promotion pages where a brand take up a few pages with what cleverly looks like magazine content about there products.
Anyway I ripped out 80 pages of double sided ads which equals 160 pages of adverts! and as I've mentioned this is no where near them all.
So well over a third of the magazine is adverts maybe half. So why is something with so many adverts priced at £4 usually (this one was on offer at £2). You have to ask yourself are we being ripped off?

I know magazines have to have adverts but this feels like a obsurd amount. Does anyone else feel the same? Have you noticed more adverts lately?