Waterwipes for Sensitive Make-Up Removal

Hello all, I hope you are well. Things have been a little crazy around here since Poppy arrived but I wanted to take the time today to tell you about the Make-Up Removal Wipes by Waterwipes. I'm also very excited to give two of my readers the chance to win a freakin years supply!

Before I tried Waterwipes Facial wipes I was very anti-wipe when it came to removing my make-up. Other wipes I've tried have left my skin looking red, stinging and feeling dry. The reason these wipes fair out much better on my skin is because they are made using just three skin friendly ingredients - purified water, dead sea minerals and grapefruit seed extract. 

These facial wipes are perfect for on the go while travelling and they are especially great after a late night out when you haven't got the energy to be messing around with lotions and potions. 

This is where the fun begins! WaterWipes have given me the oopportunity to host a giveaway for you. I have a years supply of facial wipes to give away to two of my readers. To enter follow the instructions below and good luck. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Benefit "They're Real" Mascaras & Push up Gel Liners *NEW COLLECTION*

This time last year Benefit launched a new product called "They're Real" Push Up Liner. It was the first lash hugging gel liner pen with it's patent-pending accuflex tip. No other brand had a product like it and it received mostly good feedback as it made applying eye liner a doddle for those who usually steered clear. It also became popular for its jet black colour and 24 hour staying power just like it's sister product the "They're Real" Jet Black mascara. Some people didn't warm to the product so well because they found it hard to remove. It stayed on so well that Benefit brought out a waterproof eye make-up remover product which costs €19.50. The eye-liner pen costs €25 so I can see why some would not want to then pay more for another product to remove it. 

One year on and Benefit have only gone and done it again with another exciting launch of the same push up liner gel pen in the colours Beyond Purple, Beyond Blue, Beyond Green and Beyond Brown. Just in time for summer these new colours will be available to buy in shops this July.

Quick thoughts:

Beyond Purple - I found the consistency of the Beyond purple liner different from the original Black liner launched last year. It's creamier and not as pigmented so I found I had to do two coats. It's dark purple, which does make it more wearable for everyday but I was hoping for something fun and brighter for that pop of colour. 

Beyond Blue - Again not the same consistency as the black. I found it creamy and hard to reach the same effect as I would so easily with the Jet Black liner. Navy in colour, again very wearable but doesn't have that wow factor. To quote my good friend Miss Hanna "For the people who like blue but aren't 16"!! I still have some growing up to do because I would have loved this a little brighter! 

Beyond Green - Things are getting a little better with the liner in beyond green. Although I found this liner also creamy in consistency it was a lot more pigmented so as long as I took my time applying it I didn't have to re-apply another coat over it but still not happy that I couldn't just bang it on like the jet black liner. 

Beyond Brown - Saving grace! I love the liner in Beyond brown. It's perfect if you want a warm look, especially if you have blue eyes. Perfectly pigmented and dries in seconds just like the Jet Black liner. 

The gel liner pen is so simple to use. You simply twist the base to push up gel to the tip, Then slowly guide the tip along your lash line and create the desired effect you want. Less product for a subtle look that will create the effect of bigger looking eyes in seconds or go more dramatic and add a flick for that cat eye effect. 

It doesn't stop there! Benefit have also launched "They're Real" Mascara in two new shades, Beyond Blue and Beyond Brown. They will also be available to buy in shops in July and cost €26 each. They have the same domed brush which allows you to reach those iddy biddy lashes and create that false lash effect without the spider legs. 

I haven't tried Beyond blue yet but I found Beyond Brown excellent for adding volume and length. It also provided a long lasting colour and complemented the Beyond Brown Push up Liner well. 

There you have it, the new products to enter into the Benefit "They're Real" family. For my own personal preferences I'm mostly impressed with the push up liner and mascara in Beyond Brown. Will you be trying any new products from this collection? Let me know in the comments below.

Love,

Sarah

Baby Wipes Uncovered - Real Mums get Real Honest about Award Winning Wipes

I took to my Facebook and Instagram pages recently to ask my readers their opinions on different baby wipe brands used by thousands of parents on a daily basis here in Ireland. I never thought I would get the response that I did and thought it would be a good idea to share some of those comments with you here on my blog.

I myself have been stocking up on baby products in preparation for the arrival of my baby girl who is currently two days over due, little madam! I have also received baby products from family and friends. I'm just so overwhelmed with the amount of products available and of course want to use only the best, this is why I asked for your opinion and was delighted with the feed back I received from my readers.

Readers comments on Johnsons Baby Gentle Cleansing baby wipes - €2.99 (Boots) €1.50 (Supervalue) for a pack of 56 wipes. 

"Johnsons are like acid" - Stephanie

"I used Johnsons on lil ones bum got so irritated by them I stopped using" - Jasminda

"Never touch Johnsons" - Vi

"Johnsons and Pampers have horrible scents" - Corrina 

"Stay away from Johnsons altogether for new babas. All their stuff is so heavily scented and have never heard a good word about them. We got so much Johnsons stuff and if your bab is any way sensitive at all it can reek havoc" - Sharon 

I have to say I was taken aback by the comments above. Johnson's claim to provide gentle cleansing care from top to toe. Their wipes contain the famous No More Tears moisturising baby lotion which is made of 97% water so in theory they should be mild and gentle but it appears my mammy readers do not agree. 

 

Readers comments on Mamia Sensitive Fragrance Free baby wipes - 95c (Aldi) for a pack of 64 wipes.

"I used to use Johnsons but prefer Aldi wipes now" - Emma

"Aldi wipes and nappies are incredible and super value too" - Stephanie

"When I was pregnant I bought the Aldi ones when they were on offer and literally had enough for six months and he's never had as much as a spot on his bum" - Denis

"Aldi are ok but you need a lot of wipes for one nappy change" - Jasminda

"Aldi are really rough" - Michelle

"Not the Aldi ones hun, they are too rough for your babies bum" - Nina

Mixed reviews on the Mamia sensitive baby wipes from Aldi. They contain aloe vera and chamomile to help keep babies skin soft and smooth but you never know how your little ones skin will react to ingredients like this no matter how nice they sound. If they are suitable for your little babies skin then you have to agree they are pretty fantastic value for money at 95 cent a pack. 

Readers comments on Water Wipes, Chemical Free - €2.99 (Boots) for a pack of 60 wipes

"Water wipes are brill, highly recommend" - Lorna

"Water Wipes are great but very expensive" - Jasminda 

"I tried Water Wipes they were great but just too expensive as we use at least a bag a day" - Corrina

"I use Water Wipes or Huggies Pure depending what's on special offer" - Anita

"Used Water Wipes for the first few months and then switched to Tesco brand, mainly for price reasons" - Kathy

Water Wipes contain 99.9% water and 0.1% Fruit Extract (citrus grandis seed) so I can see why they claim to be the worlds purest baby wipes on their packaging. At €2.99 a pack I can see were my readers are coming from on the price. Unlike Johnsons babies wipes you rarely see Water Wipes on special offer and with babies needing changing almost ten times a day you really are going to fly through wipes. 

I know you are not allowed to use baby wipes in hospital and it is recommended using just cotton wool and water at first. I also know that there are other wipes such as Huggies, Pampers and Lidl brand available so at the moment I do not know which ones I will end up using. After my mammy readers comments I am not too keen on the idea of using Johnsons baby wipes. I have about six packs bought already and will use them for general cleaning around my home so they don't go to waste. I will have to see what baby girls skin will be suitable for when the time comes. After reading all your comments Water Wipes seem to be the clear favourite even though they are the most expensive. 

Thank you all for your feedback, if you have yet to share your favourite baby wipes I would love to hear your thoughts below in the comments section. 

Love,

Sarah

Montagne Jeunesse - A Cruelty Free Beauty Essential - Giveaway

I am delighted to announce that I have teamed up with Montagne Jeunesse to give 30 of my readers an at home pampering experience with one of their masks. 

Most of you might have heard about or seen Montagne Jeunesse face masks as they are sold in all major pharmacies in Ireland and can also be found in Penneys Stores. I myself have been using their face masks since my teens. They have so many different types of masks available for all different skin types and I find them a real treat. 

The peel off masks are my personal favourite. I recently tried out the Black Seaweed peel-off mask and I loved it. It was really easy peasy to apply and after 15 minutes I peeled it off all in one go and my skin felt truly cleansed afterwards. The following week I tried out the Brazilian Mud Fabric mask. I've never tried a fabric mask before and looked a little like Leonardo DiCaprio in the film Man with the Iron mask but it smelled so nice fruity and gave my skin a real boost. 

Montagne Jeunesse has been crushing, pulping and juicing natural goodness into their cruelty free face masks for 25 years and are now available in over 80 countries worldwide. Costing less than €2 they really make the perfect affordable weekly treat. 

To win, simple click on the link **HERE** and fill out the form. 30 winners will be selected at random in one month and contacted by email. Good Luck! 

Love,

Sarah

Nivea Anti-Wrinkle Q10 Range - Reduce The Appearance of Lines and Wrinkles

If you're currently using a day and night cream you are already making good tracks with preventing the early onset of wrinkles. Lets face it, nobody wants to look older than their age. I had never seen myself using anti-wrinkle products so early into my twenties but you know what, prevention is better than cure. I know I will get wrinkles, just like everybody else. It's all part and parcel of getting older but if there is a product out there which will help me delay the process then I will try it. 

Nivea have invested over fifteen years of research to bring you the new Q10 Plus range. The research was based around an ingredient called Coenzyme Q10 and increasing the levels of that ingredient in our skin. With regular use the formula supports our own natural Q10 to reduce the appearance of wrinkles while preventing new lines from forming. 

I've been using the entire range for the last three months and I'm happy to report that my skin is looking better than ever. I like that the day cream is SPF 15 which will also help protect my skin from sun induced wrinkle formation. It also made a great base for my make-up application. The night cream is also great as it works while you sleep! 

Other products from the anti-wrinkle range include Serum pearls and an Eye cream. I applied both products in the morning after cleansing and then applied my day cream last. I did not find any of these products to be too heavy and found that they sat nicely on my skin leaving it feeling refreshed and nourished. Apart from the Serum pearls looking like scrambled eggs when dispensed from the bottle I had no complaints about it. It contains hyaluronic acid which acts like a filler, smoothing out the appearance of lines. Another great base for under your make-up. I found the Eye Cream great for reducing the appearance of dark circles and left my eyes looking brighter.

Prices

50ml Nivea Anti-Wrinkle Q10 Plus Day Cream SPF 15 - €11.80

50ml Nivea Anti-Wrinkle Q10 Plus Night Cream - €12.59

15ml Nivea Anti-Wrinkle Q10 Plus Eye Cream - €11.79

40ml Nivea Anti-Wrinkle Q10 Plus Serum Pearls - €14.99 

Throughout my pregnancy family and friends have been telling me that I look great and that I have a great "glow". I don't know were that whole pregnancy glow came from but I'm putting it down to the Nivea Anti-Wrinkle range girls! I think the range is great value for money as both the Serum and eye cream lasted me three months and I still have a quarter of the day and night cream left which is pretty good going for daily use. 

Love,

Sarah

Mum to Be Monday #5 - My Baby Shower

Mammy bubbles, myself and bump. xxx

Girls! I'm officially on maternity leave and I'm sitting down to blog for the first time in four months! Hallelujah!!

At the beginning of my pregnancy I had a vision of what the following months of pregnant life would involve and it turned out being noting like what I expected. Taking it easy, saving and exhaustion meant very little time for hanging out with friends so I thought having a baby shower would be the perfect opportunity to catch up with my family and friends before baby arrives. 

I had an absolutely brilliant day and would recommend having one to any expectant mum. It was a great distraction full of laughter and lots of yummy cake. 

You can't have a celebration without cake and boy did I have some cake! My good friends Sarah and Katie who I have known since the age of twelve graciously made me the spectacular cake creations you can see in the pictures above. The cake actually stole the show on the day. The three tier cake was jaffa-cake flavour on top, lemon in the middle and chocolate on the bottom. There was also a separate cake which was carrot cake. Yes, I tried them all! Sarah used the front of the shower invitations as inspiration for her design which turned out beautifully. 

I wanted to treat my family and friends on the day so I had Katie from Nails by Katie & Suzie on hand to do nails. Trying to stay away from the traditional baby shower games that not everyone would be interested in I set up a few cute activities instead. I had a table with plain baby grows and sleep suits with some fabric markers and everyone got to design one for Poppy. They turned out great and will make a lovely keepsake. I got the baby grows from Penneys and fabric pens from the Art & Hobby shop.

Nearly all my friends have children and I wanted them to come along and join in the celebrations too. Seriously who else would help eat all that cake?! There was about ten children as well as a few babies there on the day. To entertain them I purposely had my baby shower in the pre-school I work in so they had many toys to distract them. Teresa, a friend from work also did face painting on the day. I think the kids had fun and some even made new friends! 

I also had a table with a photo album of baby scans from the last eight months. On the same table I had a white tree borrowed from my friend Lorna who used it at her wedding recently. I used it on the day for pink prediction cards I bought on ebay. Everyone had fun filling them out guessing weight, due date of baby and giving messages of advice. I will treasure them forever in a special keepsake box. I also can't wait to see if anyone was close in guessing her due date. 

For fun party favours I had little pink baby bottles filled with tasty treats. They were also personalised using stickers thanking my guests for coming. For food we just had sandwiches, lots of finger food and a sweet table....it was a day of gluttony really.

I was really spoiled on the day and I'm delighted I got to see my friends before baby arrives as I have no idea what to expect once she is here! 

Love,

Sarah & Bump

Mum to be Monday - My Pregnancy Journey

• Pregnancy announcement & 18 week pregnancy update
• Gender Reveal
• 21 Weeks Pregnancy Update
• Baby Bump Painting - My sister-in-law

Waxperts Beautiful Body Oil

Waxperts Beautiful Body Oil, €9.99 100ml

I'm delighted to have been given the opportunity to try out the latest product from the Irish brand Waxperts before it hits the shelves in February. 

If you haven't heard about Waxperts Wax check out my experience post here. The same brand brought us Waxperts Ingrown Hair pads which have been a huge success with women all over the country. The pads are great for preventing and treating ingrown hairs on any area of your body. As well as that they are fantastic for eliminating those unsightly lumps and bumps. They cost €9.99 for forty pads. I personally couldn't live without them, especially during the summer months. Anyone else counting down to summer?! 

Back to the fabulous product as pictured above! After the winter months your skin will be calling out for this product. Its formulated with lavender which will aid in nourishing and replenishing your skin after the cold weather. 

The packaging says Heavenly lavender based body oil. Nourishes, soothes and hydrates. Suitable for after waxing. Divine after bathing. I've personally been loving it for my bump as I've just popped recently hitting twenty five weeks and I want to do as much as I can to reduce stretch marks. I have also loved the effect it has had on my legs. Before they were dry as I totally neglected them recently and now they are soft and silky smooth. 

It's also light and absorbs fast so you aren't left with an oily residue. It instantly hydrates your skin and leaves you with a lovely lavender scent, perfect for use at night time to aid sleep. It also claims to help heal irritated or sun scorched skin during the summer months. 

I think Waxperts have created another must have product. I really like the fact that it saves your bacon all year round. Hydrating during the winter and soothing during the summer. 

You'll be able to order online on their website www.waxperts.ie and salons nationwide will also be stocking the Beautiful Body Oil. 

Love,

Sarah

Mum to be Monday #4 - Baby Bump Painting

You may or may not have heard of bump painting before. I myself only found out about it two weeks ago. While on Twitter I seen @JoJosPartyTime mention that she does it with a link to her Facebook page. I checked out her page and had to get in touch immediately to find out more about it.

It's something I would love to get done myself closer to my due date. I thought of my brothers partner Danielle as she is due at the end of January and this would be a lovely way to celebrate her wonderful bump before my nephew Alex arrives.

Jo Maher was very friendly and easy to talk too, we communicated through Facebook chat and organised a date. She come to Danielle's to do it which meant mum to be didn't have to leave the house. The whole experience was something else, really enjoyable and I'm glad I got to photograph it. I'll let the photos do the talking now!

         

Is this something you would think about doing yourself? I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments below. Prices vary depending on your location and it takes just one hour for Jo to work her magic. It really was a nice experience, chatting away in a relaxing environment surrounded by family members. 

Check out Jo's page JAM Face & Body Art over on Facebook

Love,

Sarah

Mum to be Monday - My Pregnancy Journey

• Pregnancy announcement & 18 week pregnancy update
• Gender Reveal
• 21 Weeks Pregnancy Update

Mum to Be Monday #3 - 21 weeks pregnancy update

Time for an update ladies! 

How far along? 21 weeks plus 2 days! Half way there ladies...whoop whoop!

Total weight gain: None, according to my GP I've lost weight. I am eating...all the time! 

Maternity clothes? Not yet but I did receive a "hands off my bump" T-shirt from one of the girls in work. Bump is still too small to fill it though! I wore it shopping the other day and got some evils from heavenly pregnant women!! I've just been buying bigger clothes to be honest. I checked out the on-line maternity clothes sales and I have to say the options available are not in anyway shape of form cute.  

Stretch marks? None but I haven't been gaining weight and I've been lathering myself in lotions and potions daily.

Sleep: Currently waking up in the middle of the night for toilet breaks but apart from that sleep is good, getting at least 7-8 hours a night. Can only seem to nod off while sleeping on my left side.

Best moment this week? Purchasing baby bumps future wheels. We could not resist the Cosatto Giggle Oh la la! Travel set. We must have walked away from it at least five times and kept going back over to look at it again. We practised clicking the car seat out and popping on the carrycot more times than and I can remember but finally decided that baby girl would love it as much as us! Fingers crossed with the pushchair we will get three years out of it! 

Miss anything? I miss being able to swan off to the pub for a drink but I have to say I enjoyed my Non-alcoholic strawberry daiquiris at my Christmas works party and only got charged €2.70 for a Mr Slushy...winning!  

Movement: YESS! I finally began to feel flutters of movement from bump. I have to say the last two weeks people kept asking me...they're curious I know but every time I said no I felt a little sad about it! Have to stop comparing myself to other peoples experiences. 

Food cravings: None and I have noticed I can't eat as much as I usual would be able too! It kills me to wake away from a plate with left overs!  

Symptoms: I was suffering with sciatica in my left leg but after spending the Christmas season with my feet up it has eased off. I woke up last week during the night and couldn't get back to my bed the pain was so bad. I just have to rest and not stand for too long. 

Gender: Girl.

Mood: Mostly relaxed apart from emotional drives on icy roads. Icy roads + car slides = crying pregnant lady. I've certainly been taking it easy cheesy since I found out I was carrying a small human inside me. 

Looking forward to: Watching bump get bigger and finally getting some bump pictures taken for my baby book. 

That's it for this week, if there is anything you want to know ask away...forever on facebook and twitter! 

Love,

Sarah and bump

Mum to Be Monday #2 - Gender Reveal

I've been dying to share the news of our gender scan with you after we told all our family members over the Christmas holidays first! I'm going to start from the very beginning so this might be a long post. Finding out the gender was something that we both wanted to do, some people prefer to wait until their child is born to find out but this was a personal choice and we will cherish the experience forever.

When we went for our twelve week scan in Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda I was told that we wouldn't be having another scan until I was 34 weeks to check the positioning of the placenta. I was suddenly taken by surprise, I thought all women had a twenty or twenty one week scan to check the babies development and if possible they would be able to find out what gender the baby was. Seemingly this was not the case for all women. First time mam here so there is a lot for me to learn!! The lady was happy with what she had seen in our scan and sent us on our way.

On the way home that day we talked about finding out the sex of the baby or leaving it until the very end and I think we both decided instantly that we wanted to know as soon as possible. There was no specific reason why. It had noting to do with purchasing gender specific items for our child we just could not wait to find out. We are just so excited about becoming parents that we wanted to know would a little boy or a little girl be changing our lives forever.

It looked like a private scan would be on the cards for us so while we waited for baby to grow and develop past the recommended eighteen weeks we looked into different types of scans available. My brother and his partner are also expecting and they had a 3D scan at the Babyscan clinic in Swords, Co Dublin. They had a great experience and it was only a short drive for us so myself and John opted for the gender scan there. Booking was so simple, you can ring in and also book on-line. There was no waiting list. I was even given a list of available appointments that week and I selected the best time for us. What better time than the week before Christmas, my favourite time of year.

Skipping straight to the scan I just want to say that the women we dealt with at the clinic could not have been nicer. They genuinely seemed interested in our pregnancy and made me feel very comfortable and at ease.

The room where the scan took place was very spacious and John got to sit right beside me and hold my hand. At the hospital for the twelve week scan he had to sit on the other side of the room and look at a different screen. I didn't even feel like he was in the room with me. I was so happy that this gave us the opportunity to have a more intimate experience. Walking into the room the sonographer could see that I looked uncomfortable and a few moments into the scan she told me that my bladder was too full and that the baby was a little squished in there so after a quick trip to the toilets I came back to find out the good news. She already knew the sex before I went so we spent the next 15-20 minutes looking at our babies hands, feet and beautiful face.

She asked us our predictions, we both said boy. 

She said " well, it's a baby girl"

Well...I just burst out crying! I was so shocked. From the moment I found out I was pregnant I kept thinking boy. Every time I seen something even remotely related to do with girls I just thought ah, maybe next time. I was so convinced we were having a boy.  John had the biggest smile on his face, we both actually had the stupidest big smiles on our faces. Now we knew....it felt much more real than it did half an hour beforehand. 

Another plus to having the gender scan done privately was that we received a tonne of photos to take home of our lil baby girl. The whole experience really was worth every penny and I would do it all again in a heart beat...I'll just drink less water next time! 

Oh my god I just remembered, she actually yawned during the scan and we seen it all in almost slow motion on the huge television monitor beside us. It was so surreal. At one point she (I can also say she now!) kicked her two legs up to her head. She's going to be tall just like her parents! 

So we have a little girl on the way.....far too exciting. Still searching for the right name for her. We had a name all set if it was a boy...how wrong were we! 

As I write this post I am currently twenty one weeks and only began to feel little flutters from within my bump a few hours ago. There is so much to look forward too and time is going by so fast, I'm trying to enjoy each moment as it comes. 

A bloody girl lads! Who's up for dress shopping in the new year?!!!! 

Love,

Sarah & Bump! 

**WIN** LUSH Little Ro's Flowers Gift box Giveaway

Back in October (which seems like only last week!) I blogged about this years LUSH Christmas gift guide and I'm delighted to now offer one of my readers the chance to win this luxurious Little Ro's Flowers Christmas gift box. This amazing box contains six products to treat you from top to toe with sweet scents and floral fragrances. 

Little Ro's Flowers contains:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

This giveaway is restricted to Ireland and the UK only. Stay tuned over on my Facebook page for international giveaway's. The lucky winner will be contacted and announced on the 16/12/14.

Love,

Sarah

**WIN** Cocoa Brown Tan - My Party Season Must Have

It's officially party season girls and I'm going to tell you why Cocoa Brown should be on your shopping list when you dash out the door to buy a new dress for that all important Christmas work party or girls night out. 

I have three simple reasons why you should include Cocoa Brown on your must have's list. 

Affordability - From the first moment CB came on the scene I was surprised and delighted at just how affordable the tanning range was. With prices ranging from €2.99 to €7.99 it's very easy to understand why this has become the fastest selling tan in Ireland.

Quality - I would not be one for regular tanning but when an event does arise I always reach for Cocoa Brown. I love Tough Stuff and Chocolate Whip for preparing my skin prior to applying the 1 Hour Tan. You can see instantly where you have applied the tan and washing off the excess tan after your desired time leaves little room for error. I also love the colour and scent.

Improved Confidence - I don't wear tan to give off the impression that I've been sunning myself in the Bahamas. I wear tan because like most of the female population in Ireland I have pale skin and Pale skin does not go too well with that perfect little black dress (unless you're Nicole Kidman...damn you!). Wearing tan gives me the confidence to get dolled up and enjoy my night out. If I can do that with a product at a fraction of the price of other tanning products and get results that I'm happy with then you can bet your bottom dollar that this brand will be in my life for a very long time! 

 Cocoa Brown also have a range of Tanning sets on the market that would make perfect gifts for friends and family. There's the Be Bronzed & Beautiful gift set for €9.95. The set contains Cocoa Brown 1 Hour Tan that Delivers a radiant, bronzed glow in just 1 HOUR. Cocoa Brown Tough Stuff Body Scrub 50ml which Exfoliates your skin in preparation for the tan, plus it also removes your tan when you’re done! And lastly the Cocoa Brown Gentle Bronze Gradual Tanner.

Also available this Christmas season is the Luxury Gift Set for €19.99 and currently on special offer on Feelunique.com for €12.80 or in Tesco for €13.33 until the 24th of December. This set includes the 1 Hour tan, Tough Stuff Scrub, Chocolate whip moisturiser and a pink tanning mitt. 

My favourite set is the Ultimate Travel Set. It costs just €10 in Penneys and is perfect for travelling obviously but it's also handy if you're getting ready for a night out at your friends and don't want to be arriving with a heap of products. It contains a cute 100ml 1 Hour tan, 75ml Chocolate Whip body moisturiser and 75ml Tough Stuff body scrub. 

Win yourself an Ultimate Travel Set and a 200ml of Cocoa Brown Gentle Bronze by heading on over to my Facebook page.

Also head on over to the Cocoa Brown Facebook page to stay up to date with new products and offers.

Love,

Sarah

Mum to Be Monday #1 - Baby News

Hello Everyone,

If you follow me on any of my social media websites you would have heard the big news that I'm going to be a mum.....ek! I am currently eighteen weeks pregnant and thought it would be a great time to start a "Mum to Be" series here on my blog. I want to share my journey with you and I also want to use the series as a platform for me to interact with other mammies and mum's to be out there. I'll be asking questions over on my Facebook page over the next few months and would love to see your interaction over there.

So I've been checking out a few other bloggers pregnancy updates and they seem to cover a number of changes week by week which I will cover for you below. If there is anything you are interested in or want to know about my pregnancy leave it in the comments below!

Due Date: 9th May 2015 *whoop whoop*

Total weight gain? I have no idea, I didn't weight myself at the beginning and to be honest I'm not too hung up on the weight gain. So far I haven't gained any noticeable weight apart from my baby bump of course! 

Best moment so far? That would have to be our 12 week scan. Getting to see our baby for the first time was so surreal. I will do a post on this amazing experience because it was such a big event for us.  

Miss anything? There have been a few moments when I have missed the sweet taste of amber nectar (alcohol) but that was just at family events when I felt like I was missing out but it wasn't a big deal. 

Movement? No movement yet but I know this little one will be very active because at the 12 week scan he/she was doing summer-salts! 

Food cravings? The first craving was Rice Crispies. I'm not a big fan of cereal but between week 5 to 15 I was having at least two bowls a day. For the last two weeks I've been craving orange juice a lot. My babies way of telling me I'm not getting enough Vitamin C! 

Supplements? I began taking Sanatogen Mother to be Multivitamin and multimineral food supplement while we tried to get pregnant and then for the first 12 weeks I switched to Folic acid. I'm currently taking Pregnacare Original, when I remember too, baby brain kicking in!  

Anything making you queasy or sick? I have to say in 18 weeks of pregnancy I'm very lucky to report that I only had two days where I couldn't keep a thing down. It was not a pleasant experience but I'm just thanking my lucky stars I didn't have to go through that for longer like so many other women during pregnancy. Fingers crossed it stays that way. Current turn off is sausages! 

Gender: Hopefully we will find out before Christmas.

Will I be doing bump updates? Maybe when I get a little bigger but at the moment it's not something I plan on doing. 

Stretch marks? No new ones. I have a few from my teens when my weight went up and down like a yo-yo but as far as I can see I have no new ones. I've been using a range of products to combat the possibility of new ones, I shall share them with you in another post.

Anything unexpected? Crazy...and I mean cray-cray dreams! 

Wearing? I'm still wearing my own non-pregnant lady clothes! The only thing I have purchased is a new pair of trainers for work because I spend a lot of the day standing. 

Buying: I'm waiting until next year before I start going baby mad! So far all I have bought is a hand made knitted mickey mouse hat from a local Christmas fair. Couldn't resist it! I'm very lucky that a few of the larger and expensive baby items such as the cot, basket and pram have been kindly offered to us by family and friends. 

That's all I can think of so far but as I said before if there is anything you want to ask pop it in the comments below. I'm so excited to share this journey with you and to also have it documented. 

I can't believe it's finally happening. I'm going to be a mother! Is it corny to say that I have always dreamed of the day I would be saying that?. At 28 years of age I thought it would have happened a lot sooner but I know times have changed and couples are having babies later and later in life. I can't even put into words how excited I am! 

Stay tuned for more updates and don't worry I won't be bombarding you with baby posts....well, not many!! 

Love,

Sarah

LUSH Christmas 2014 Gift Guide

I rather excitedly paid the Lush store on Grafton Street in Dublin a visit recently to check out this years Christmas products. I'm here to share some pretty amazing bath melts, bubble bars, bath bombs and soaps with you. You can take this post as a gift guide for your family and friends this Christmas or if you're selfish like me you can covet it all for yourself!!  

This year I fell in love a little with the new luxury handmade Christmas themed soaps. Baked Alaska €4.25 is a real treat with it's vibrant colours. Inspiration for the design has been taken from a snowball and you will find this soap uplifting and very soothing with lemon myrtle, ylang ylang oil and grapefruit. Also new this year is Yog Nog Soap €4.50 and reindeer Rock Soap €3.95.

When I think of Lush I automatically think Bath Bombs! I love them and was the most excited about seeing my all time favourite Golden Wonder €4.75 when I went to visit. If you're a big child like me you will love this from the moment you drop it into the bath. The outer layer which looks like a delightfully wrapped gift fizzes away to reveal the next blue layer, then pink and orange and finally you're left with a luster filled bath, stars galore! We also have other favourites like Cinders €3.25, Shooting Stars €4.50 and Luxury Lush Pud €4.50.

Their Bath melts and Bubble bars are also quite fun and can be used along with your bath bombs to make for a very bubbly experience! New this year we have the Snow Angel bath melt €4.95 which offers fizz and a spectacular luster as well as that it contains fair trade organic cocoa butter which will leave your skin feeling nice and soft. Back this year is the Melting Snowman €2.95 and he's back packing a spicy warm punch with hot toddy fragrance of cinnamon oil, clove leaf, lime oil and sweet orange oil. 

New to the Bubble bar family this year is Drummers Drumming  €6.75 and Holly Go Lightly 5.95. Drummers Drumming is a bubble bar and a musical instrument in one with the sweet smell of strawberries when held under the running tap in your bath. Holly Go Lightly is just a delightful addition and really made me feel festive! Also welcome back Christmas Eve €3.85 and Magic Wand Bubble Bar €6.75. 

If you know me you will know that I go gaga for the Lush Snow Fairy limited edition shower gel and I will be following my tradition of purchasing enough to keep me going until it is available again next Christmas! An interesting update for fans, this year they have added skin softening seaweed to the Snow Fairy potion.

 My heart also skipped a beat when I laid eyes on the 12 Days Of Christmas gift box €64.95. The gift box itself is just gorgeous and would  make great storage in the new year. Inside you will find twelve festive products, one to use everyday in the run up to Christmas. 

Contains: Karma soap, The olive branch shower gel, Cinders bath bomb, Golden Wonder bath bomb, Snow Angel bath melt, Hot toddy shower gel, Dashing Santa bath bomb, Honey I washed the kids, Celebrate body lotion, Holly go lightly bubble bar, Lord of Misrule bath bomb and Star light Star bright bath bomb.

There you have it, this years Lush Christmas products that I'm excited about. I'd love to know what your Christmas favourites are in the comments below and I will not apologise for bringing you this post before the arrival of Halloween because I honestly cannot wait for the festive season to arrive! 

Now go forth and check out #LushChristmas for yourself in the nearest store to you.

Love,

Sarah