Blue Eyeliner FOTD!

No sign of Baby bubbles yet, still waiting! The days are dragging and each day seems longer than the day before.

Today I decided to wear the blue eyeliner that I mentioned here and here's how the look came out...


To be honest I wanted the blue to be much more vivid, it doesn't look as bright on the eyes as it does swatched on the hand which is a real shame but again you get what you pay for. I think it would of worked better if I didn't apply a base, not sure! But nethertheless I still love the way this look turned out, it's a nice 'pop' of colour and it just WORKS!

However, I think I need to invest in a better quality blue eyeliner as this one faded easily, if you have any recommendations do let me know, I think Nars does one and I shall have to look into it.


PRODUCTS USED

• FACE: Mac Face & Body Foundation (C3) Mac Sheer Mystery Powder lighty dusted. YSL Touche Eclat.

• CHEEKS: Soleil Tan De Chanel and Urban Decay Baked bronzer in 'Gilded' as a blush.

• LIPS: Estee Lauder 'Vanilla Truffle' lipstick

• EYES: Urban Decay Primer potion, Mac 'Brule' e/s all over, Miss Sporty Neon blue eyeliner on top lash line, Mac 'Omega' and 'Trax' e/s blended into the crease and lightly under lower lashline + mascara on top lashes only.

I'm sure I can come up with a few more ways to wear blue eyeliner, how would YOU wear it?

Pick me ups...

New nail polish always makes me super happy. My latest 2 additions are Essie 'Super Bossa Nova' and 'Sew Psyched'and I *heart* them both!



I decided I needed an electric blue eyeliner in my life, which I found along with some other random things which I call 'Pick me ups'....

1. MUA: Eyeliner Bright Orange - I don't know what possessed me to buy this apart from the fact that it was £1 as I don't know if I could rock it on the eyes, but it looked cheerful and I thought it would make an interesting lip colour.
2. MUA: Black Liquid Eyeliner - This was worth a try just because!! It has a really nice thin tip applicator & creates a nice precise line, (I wore it in yesterdays post) However, you get what you pay for, it doesn't last very long and crumbles away.
3. Miss Sporty Neon Blue Eyeliner - This was THE reason why I walked into Superdrug as I wanted an electric blue eyeliner and didn't want to get a high end one as I probably wouldn't wear it too often. I swatched every single brand at Superdrug and this was by far the most pigmented and vivid electric blue of them all. I'm so excited to try a look with this!
4. Barry M 'Candyfloss' Lip Lacquer Crayon - This is a new shade and it caught my eye so had to be mine, it's a nice cool toned pink that has hints of very fine lilac & pink glitter. See my review HERE for the cherry red shade.
   
5. Barry M Gold Eyeliner - This just looked very pretty swatched, nothing else to say.
6. Barry M Lip Paint 53 Coral - Again not much to say, it's a nice muted coral shade that looks teeny tiny bit frosty.
7. MUA Shade 9 Eyeshadow - I hate powdery eyeshadows which are often associated with "cheap" brands so usually wont even take a glance at them. However, I spotted this shade and it looked like a dupe for Urban Decay's 'Mayhem' which is my favourite purple e/s (See a look I did HERE) and for £1 I had to buy it as my 'Mayhem' got smashed and now rests in peace.

See swatches...


Here's the bright orange on my lips!


I do like bright lips but still don't feel comfortable wearing it but LOVE it on others! :)


Another 'Pick me up' is a good light hearted read, I spotted Sophie Kinsella's 'Mini Shopaholic' and thought 'perfect'!




Uhmmm and yes I made more headbands! But these are more dainty and more suitable for a newborn, whereas the other ones I made are a bit chunkier and more suitable from a few months onwards. I'm bored people what can I say?!


Ahhhhhhh I seriously can't wait to put my baby girl in these, the one with the flowers that go all the way around the head is my favourite, it will be great for pictures!!


Have you purchased a few 'Pick me ups' lately?

Leopard print...

Here's my outfit for today!

It was surprisingly hot and sunny and I decided to rock a comfy black and white leopard print maxi dress with a khaki crop top. Now, I'm not the biggest fan of leopard print but felt that this look was acceptable and felt pretty good wearing it! :)

Dress: H&M
Crop Top: Topshop
Belt: H&M
Earrings: F21

I teamed with some metal peacock earrings, wooden bangles and leather bracelet.


*BOOM* Here's a side view! I'm 39 weeks + 4 days, I'm due to give birth this Saturday! Soooo, excited!


I had my hair half up, half down...


My make up consisted of winged eyeliner and neutral everything else.


What's the weather like where you are? And, how do you wear leopard print?

DIY - Decor Details...

For me, it's not just the way I present myself that's important, it's my entire space which is my home. I just can't stop jazzing it up. Some of you have been kind enough to notice and compliment me on my decor skills! *Thank you* :)

I love personalising things as I always like to have something a little bit different to everyone else. I have done a few little DIY jobs around the bedroom, and I wanted to share them with you so that you can do it too!



I put a picture frame up above my bed and instead of framing a "normal" picture, I used a dried flower. Anyone who sees it comments on how interesting and unique it looks. The cost? Nothing, just dry some of your fresh flowers inside a book. (The picture frame is from Ikea)




I added some crochet flowers in the shape of a heart onto a cushion I already had...


Obviously this is a bit hard to do if you can't crochet, but you can always use beads, buttons, fabric and anything else you can think of to embellish cushions to really customise them and make them your own. The cost? £2.20 for the yarn & I already had the pearl beads.


Lastly, I really wanted some interesting candles but had difficulty finding them in the colours I wanted. I managed to find a khaki candle for about £2 and I wrapped around some paper flowers that I joined together like a daisy chain. You can tie ribbons, feathers or whatever else goes with the theme of your room. The cost? Nothing, the paper flowers were from my wedding.


Don't be scared to personalise, but be warned once you start you will not be able to stop!

Are you inspired to any DIY decor details to your bedroom?

NOTD - Disco Nails!

Nope, no disco or celebration in sight. Yet, I paint my nails like this which is totally inappropriate at the moment but hey I wanted something 'jazzy', and I totally got jazzy disco ball nails!


I used Orly's 'Shine' and Barry M's hologram hexagram glitter polish layered on top.


I can't stop looking at my nails! I go through phases of loving glitter layered over my polishes and then forget about them. I don't have many glitter polishes but I really like this hologram glitter and it works great with cooler colours, another favourite of mine is Maybelline's 'Flash Cosmic'. I also really badly want Milani jewel FX in Gold ever since I saw this post on Ebru's blog.

What are some of your favourite glitter nail polishes?

Closet & girlie organisation for small spaces...

I live in a small 1 bedroom flat, when I got married I found it REALLY hard to share storage space with my husband. Gone were the days I had 3 wardrobes and all the space I wanted. Now, I have to share a room with baby as well.

Storage and organisation isn't about pretty, it's about functionality and keeping things neat and were they are supposed to be. Here's how I have made it work...


Behind the door I have a wardrobe, On the rail I store jackets, shirts, skirts and scarves. I like to organise by types of clothing and then by colour.


On the shelf I have some jackets folded, a box of all my hair extensions behind, my pyjamas on the right, behind that I have swimwear and socks. I have my vests folded in a box in the middle as I use them most often, I like storing them this way as I can see each colour clearly.
My scarves/shawls are tied onto a 'trouser hanger'.


I have some shoes at the bottom, if you store a pair of shoes with one facing towards you and the other facing away you can fit much more in a row.


On top of the wardrobe I have baskets that house my bags...


I have a chest of drawers, but only the top shelf is mine as the bottom 2 have been dedicated to 'baby bubbles'.


In that drawers I have some of my tops folded into a basket so I can see everything, and some 'feminine' things on the right.


The top drawer has a secret drawer which stores my earrings and rings. I have used acrylic storage from Muji to keep them organised.


My lingerie used to be in the chest of drawers but now I keep them under the bed. I have 2 plastic boxes, one has 'bras' and the other has 'bottoms', behind that is a big box that houses all of my 'sets'.


I also keep this box under the bed which has all of my bracelets, bangles & cuffs.


I also have a built in 'closet', we took the door off to create more space...


Next to my bed I have a side table, "normal" people store books and lamps on this. I store suitcases, the top one holds all of my lotions & potions, the bottom one holds more beauty products and my brushes. Open the door and you will find nail polishes stored inside acrylic Muji drawers with hair products next to them. The shelf in between has a box full of my skincare. Who knew a tiny side table could hold so much?


I didn't have space for a dressing table so I made do with this, these baskets hold my makeup whilst looking clutter free, and I'm all about clutter free.


Oh and "Woopsie" I also have an overflow of makeup in this caddy that also lives under the bed.



Here's what's inside the built in closet... Mainly dresses, again organised by colour.


I have my belts hanging on a belt hanger...


I needed LOTS of space for my necklaces...


I have nails in the wall and I hung them all inside the closet behind my dresses.


On top I have jeans, trousers, leggings and some 'seasonal' things. My wedding dress is in the cream canvas bag on the left, and I have my bed linen on the right which are rolled up. My perfumes sit on the top shelf as I don't wear the items on the bottom that often.


On the bottom I have plenty more things...


I have shoes, I got this shelf from Costco and it works great!


I made use of the sides of the closet by hanging more jewellery, hats and hair tools. Under my hair dryer I have a box for my rollers and hair clips/accessories so it's at easy reach. Furthermore, I have my 'winter' scarves, hats & gloves in a basket.


....And that's how I store my "junk"!

I may change things up a little depending on the season but generally it stays this way. Organisation has to be practical and save you time by being able to find and put back what you need to.

Here are some of my tips:

• First things first, I got rid of a lot of clothes over the past couple of years. You need to purge and I purged good and it's something I keep up. Get rid of anything you feel 'crap' in, anything that doesn't fit and anything you haven't worn in the past year, be ruthless!
• Decide if you want to organise by 'type' or 'colour'.
• Explore new ways of folding or rolling your clothes, you will be surprised how much space you save and how easy it is to find things.
• Asses what works for you with your existing storage and keep it that way, decide on what would make life easier, for example if you have to wear black 5 days out of the week put those items at easy reach.
• Look into baskets, boxes and shelves! It's amazing how much more stuff you can squish into them. I recommend checking out 'TK Maxx 'for pretty boxes if you want them to be on display.
• Don't go crazy spending money on 'organisational' products, make use of what you have at home, like I said it's not about pretty it's about functionality and creating solutions for your storage.
  

Do you have any tips for organising in small spaces?

Pregnancy Tips / Advice..

I don't know whether once your pregnant you realise everyone is else is pregnant or it's just me! Try going to Ikea, it's baby bump galore! I wanted to share with you some of my tips as thank god I have had quite a smooth pregnancy and hope that others can benefit from my experience and views. Obviously each and every person and pregnancy is different so you need to cater for yourself. Here are my top tips if you are expecting....

Photo: Me at 28 weeks!

• Don’t eat for two and eat only when you are hungry. However, during the 1st trimester you may feel quite nauseous so you may need to force yourself to eat nutritious meals. You actually only need an extra 200 calories towards the very end of your pregnancy, so don’t go stuffing your face and put on too much weight too soon. If you do fancy naughty foods try not to have too much, although it’s almost impossible to restrain yourself during the last month! There are some foods you need to avoid so get googling!
  

• Drink plenty of water and take folic acid and prenatal vitamins if you need to.
  

• Do some kind of exercise, whether it be walking, swimming, yoga etc. My favourite has been walking as it’s the most convenient.

• Apply some kind of oil to your bump and breast area every single day to help prevent stretch marks. My favourite has been the Neal’s Yard Mothers balm.

• Your bra size is going to change, so constantly get measured, and also note that you will be different sizes in different shops. Make sure you are not wearing underwired bras during your pregnancy as this can obstruct increased blood flow and compress the developing milk ducts. I got a couple nonwired but padded bras from M&S which have been great, but I found Mama’s & Papa’s maternity bras to be the best and most comfortable. Furthermore you NEED to invest in a sleeping bra, because your breasts are getting larger and if they go south they stay south so keep them where they are even when you are sleeping. You could also try pyjama cami tops with built in support which works just as well.

• Invest in a body pillow, you are going to need it so the sooner you buy one the more use you will get out of it, I used the ‘Dream Genii’ but any one will do.

• Take care of your skin, it’s going to get sensitive and you may need to change your skincare routine. I loved using Avene.

• Pregnancy fashion doesn't have to be boring, embrace your bump and rock plenty of accessories! Don’t go crazy splashing out on maternity clothes, do the elastic band trick for as long as you can for your existing jeans. However do invest in some maternity jeans or jean shorts for comfort. I have found H&M to be the most affordable and recommend checking out their range (they also do longer tops which work great with a bump). You will also need some maternity leggings to team with dresses that are going to become shorter as your bump grows or try to buy very low waisted bottoms that sit under the bump which will work too, I had a pair of jeggings and they have been invaluable during my pregnancy. Treat yourself to maxi dresses, kaftan tops, and anything flowy, stretchy or empire line as you can wear these with waist belts after your pregnancy, oh and buy your normal size! Don’t buy things 3 sizes too big.

• Organise! I don’t have to say this because the ‘nesting’ instinct will naturally kick in. But, seriously a clutter free house means a clutter free mind and the more you get done before the baby comes the easier life will be. Have your hospital bag ready by 36 weeks at the latest!

• Decide on names before someone else declares they have decided for you. You will change your mind a million times (I did) but, it makes life easier once you have decided as you can start to prepare things. If you find out the sex of the baby then you can personalise the nursery or ‘corner of our bedroom’ in my case.

• Read plenty of books and do as much research on the Internet as you can, google and You Tube are your best friends. Compare and really think about essential items such as a pram, car seat, cot etc.
  

• Don’t freak out about the ‘exit’ of baby in your last trimester, whatever is going to happen is going to happen. Write a birth plan and get as much sleep as you can, which is damn hard I tell you!
  

• Oh and pamper yourself, just becuase you are having a baby it doesn't mean you neglect yourself! It just means you may have to speed things up a little. Mac Face & Body foundation is perfect for a luminous natural glow, and combined with some Chanel bronzer makes anyone look 10X better.
  

Here's me today at 38 weeks and 4 days just waiting to go into labour - 9 days until my actual due date! I found out yesterday at my hospital appointment that her head is as engaged as it's going to be before she actually 'arrives', it's marked as 1/5 which means 4/5 of her head is actually engaged, woo! This means I go for a pee every 15mins but oh well! :)


Wow I had so much to say, I even surprised myself! All the best and good luck to all the yummy mummy to be's! x X x

38 Weeks...

Almost there, just a little more waiting!