Pregnancy / Bodycare

I went off beauty products straight away at the beginning of the pregnancy; mainly the different scents didn’t agree with my morning sickness but I also couldn’t stand the feeling of the products on my face :S

I still tried to keep up my routine to a minimum with cleansing in the mornings and nights - I must admit that I skipped few nights - but hopefully not much long-term damage has been done to my skin. I basically didn’t wear any make up at all – I just couldn’t cope with removing it at the end of the day.

I did was very consistent with moisturizing my enlarging body, tho. I used an oil every night after a shower on wet skin and then sealed up the hydration with a bump butter/cream... and I'm happy to report that I didn't end up with any stretch mark at all. Yay!!! :)

I chose products specific for pregnancy to try and avoid nasty ingredients and brands that I already trusted.

At about 20 weeks, I stepped up the bump routine to twice a day and used a moisturizer in the morning too.

Oil-wise, I tried the followings: 
My favourite was the Weleda Stretch Mark Massage Oil that felt like a proper oil; both Sanctuary Mum To Be Stretch Mark Oil and Burt’s Bees Mama Bee Nourishing Body Oil felt too watery.
Although, the Weleda smells pretty herbaly and the Burt's Bees was the one that I tolerated the most with a hint of citrus.

For the Body Butters – 

I loved both the Sanctuary Mum To Be Collagen Boosting Body Butter and Burt’s Bees Belly Butter; they both sank into the skin quickly and the only difference is that the Sanctuary is quite heavily scented but it didn’t bother me. They also felt really refreshing on the skin which can be a relief, if you experience itchiness.

What bothered me instead was the smell of the Mum & Me Bump Stretch Mark Cream: I only tried a sample and then didn’t purchase for that reason.

I found the Palmer’s Massage Lotion for Stretch Marks pretty good too but too thick for the bottle and ended up throwing away half of the sample; real shame because it was a cheap alternative.

I didn't like the Palmer's Tummy Butter for Stretch Marks at all; wayyyy too thick, like a proper butter - just too greasy for my liking.

Have you tried any of these yourself? Which products do you swear by during pregnancy?

Empties / April 2014

Skincare:

Skyn Iceland Glacial Cleansing Cloths: These are the Rolls Royce of wipes. I only use wipes to qiuickly remove my face before the gym, but I nearly felt guilty using these for that purpose… they are too good!

They have a lovely fresh scent, extremely soaked in product and foam up on the skin. They are loaded with product and don’t require rinse afterwards.

I got them on sale, but apparently they retail for £30  - ouch. High end performance AND price; I will keep an eye on them and hopefully I will find them reduced again – I’d love to use them again.

Repurchase: maybe, depending on the price.

 Etat Pur Apigenin [25mg]:  I’ve been using this eye serum for almost a year, it lasted ages; I really enjoyed using it and I think it's a fantastic, working product. My favourite eye serum has always been Elemis Absolute Eye Serum but I have to admit that I haven't been missing it. Apigenin has a thin consistency, non-oily and it doesn’t have any particular scent, either. I think it has helped with my dark circles and I do feel that they are lighter than in the past. The dropper is perfect to get  the required amount of drops, without any waste.

Repurchase: I have just bought a new bottle of the Elemis serum ( to see if I still like it so much) but I will definitely buy the Etat Pur again!

Sarah Chapman Overnight Exfoliant Booster: this is a night serum to resurface the skin and get rid of dead cells. I've been using it twice a week and it does a great job at clearing the skin and doesn't feel harsh or stripping. I like it but I feel it's very similar to the Etat Pur Citric Acid AHA [3000 mg], which I like better - this post has become kinda of Ode to Etat Pur, hehe ;)

Repurchase: probably not.

Bodycare:

Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula Bust Cream: High duty moisturizer for the chest area. It’s like a butter and pretty thick so I was concerned that it would break me out. Instead, it melts into the skin without leaving any oily residue and it has a delicious cocoa scent. It’s cheap to be a target product and you get a generous amount.

Repurchase: yes.

Taaj Ayurveda Hand Cream: I didn't really like the micellar water from this brand but I definitely agreed more with the hand cream; it feels fresh on the skin, leaves my hands really soft and I love the slightly peppery scent. Great to wake me up in the morning.

Repurchase: yes.

PitRok Crystal Roll-On Deodorant: this wasn't great, to be honest! I like the fragrance - kind of baby powder - and that's about it.

 I'm not a person that sweat a lot and never had any issue in the past of feeling 'moist' in the armpit area - sorry if I'm sharing too much details - but this product didn't keep me dry... and we are talking about winter months; not smelly but felt pretty uncomfortable.

Repurchase: nope.

*****

Congratulations to the winner of my giveaway: Laura Wildman @ Ray of Glitter

Hope you enjoy your prize!!! :)

Haul / Boots

Few weeks ago I placed an order on Boots.com to take advantage of the 3for2 offer that included make up, skincare and body care.

Recently, I mentioned in my March' Empties that I finished The Beauty Parlour Boob Tubes but wasn't really impressed.

I love Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula - and how the products smell - so I picked up the Bust Cream which is also reasonably priced at under 7 pounds. The consistency seems a bit on the thick side, like a body butter, but it absorbs really well, I haven't experienced any break out so far and you only need a small amount.

Then, I stocked up on some body cream: I haven't tried the No7 Smooth & Improve Cellulite Treatment and at £22 I wouldn't normally buy it without being sure it works. So I thought it was the right chance to give it a go. I'm not too fussed with the gimmicky applicator, I just have high hopes on the formulation, really.

Finally, I bought the Tweezerman Deluxe Hair Cutting Shears; I cut my fringe every couple of weeks and currently I'm using a pair with texturising teeth which is really effortless to use. I decided to get a regular pair, in case I want to try a more dramatic, blunt style. they are vvvvery sharp!

I also HAD to get some make up... of course!!! ;)

Maybelline Color Tattoo 24hr in On and On Bronze: Big fan of these pots! I already have a couple and been wanting the bronze shade for a while. I've been pretty much used it every day since I got it - it lets you create a beautiful look, effortlessly and quickly. You don't need anything else on top... this is really a case where less is more.

Revlon Colorstay Longwear Nail Enamel in 180 Indigo Night: Prologue - I love blue polishes but a nice, bright midnight blue was missing from my collection. 

I decided to get the Revlon because I've been wanting to try this line since it came out; I'm pleased with both consistency and longevity but £7.99 is a bit steep for an high street polish, in my opinion... I mean you can get an Essie for that price, right?! High street-wise, Rimmel is still my favourite around the 4quid range.

Real Techniques Your Eyes/Enhanced Starter Kit: another product I'm crossing off my wishlist.

I'm a bit fan of RT brushes - I already wrote about them here & here.

I mainly wanted to try the deluxe crease brush for concealer since my dark circles are so bad and I figured every little helps. I'm finding the base shadow brush great to apply cream shadows/color tattoos and the accent brush for undereye smudging.

I don't really have any use for the pixel-point eyeliner brush and brow brush so I will keep them to give away in my next giveaway. ;)

Have you tried any of these items? What are your thoughts?
x