The NSpa Mum to Be Range: First Impressions

Warding off stretch marks seems to be a mightily expensive business, with most products specific for pregnancy ranging anything from £10 to £25 or even higher. At a time when your purse strings are being stretched to the max with the million and one baby things you need to buy, shelling out for nine months worth of lotions and potions tends to bring on the mum guilt. For the first sixteen weeks I used the Palmer's Cocoa Butter Skin Therapy Oil (£9.99 for 150ml) which seems to have done the job preventing stretch marks on my tummy but- controversial opinion coming up- I really hate the chocolatey smell.

 

 

So I was chuffed to come across the nspa Mum to Be range at Asda, which usually retails for £4-10 but is included in the current Baby and Toddler Event, so I got each of my products for a mere £3 each! The range includes bump butter, stretch mark oil, nipple balm, bust firming cream, bath and shower crème and a cooling leg and foot gel. I noticed that the bump butter had been voted best new mum/maternity skincare product in the 2014 Mother and Baby awards and for £3 you can't really argue with that, so I picked it up along with the oil and the bust firming cream to try. Here are my thoughts after using them for the past week or so...

 

 

Nourishing Stretch Mark Oil (£6/150ml)

This 'luxurious blend of rosehip, jojoba and almond oil' is my favourite product so far, mainly because it smells so much better than the Palmers oil! The scent is so light and fresh, almost floral but with some definite citrus notes and not overpowering at all. One of the things I've hated about oils in the past is the greasy feeling while it's absorbing, and I usually have to wear gloves to apply them because I can't stand the feeling in between my fingers! This one seems to be the complete opposite, it absorbs so much faster and I can get dressed straight after applying without worrying it will seep through my clothes. I can also apply this without gloves or having to scrub my hands afterwards, which earns major points in my book!

 

Moisturising Bump Butter (£6/200ml)

The formulation of this encompasses everything I love in a body butter: thick but melts into the skin and feels ultra moisturising. Like the oil, this also contains rosehip oil and vitamin E but has a shea butter base, so the scent is more typical of that, although there are similarities between the two. At first I applied this morning and night, but unfortunately this brought me out in a rash. However, I think this was because it wasn't being absorbed before I got dressed into my horrid synthetic work top in the morning, which was then causing the irritation. I now just slather a thick layer on at night before putting on my pyjamas and letting it sink in and there haven't been any more problems.

 

 

Firming Bust Cream (£5/100ml)

To be honest, I don't really have much of an opinion on this yet. I picked it up on a whim, but it's probably not something I really need. Apart from some stretch marks from not applying anything until fourteen weeks (I stupidly thought I wouldn't have to worry about stretch marks on my chest!), my boobs haven't suffered any other effects of pregnancy. This will probably come in handier later on in my pregnancy when everything starts heading south! Like the bump butter, this contains shea butter, rosehip oil and vitamins B and E, but is much more like a lotion in consistency. The addition of spirulina (a seaweed extract) promises to tone and firm the skin, and also promises a noticeable difference in the arms and thighs.

Overall, I've been won over by the Mum to Be range, and will be continuing to use the stretch mark oil and bump butter throughout the rest of my pregnancy. For the price you really can't go wrong, and the packaging looks lovely sitting out on your dressing table. Obviously I can't comment on their effectiveness at reducing/ preventing stretch marks, but my first impressions are certainly good. I'll report back with an update in a couple of months. Fingers crossed!

What products did you find effective at preventing stretch marks during pregnancy?

April Favourites

Well here we are at the end of another month!

I've been impatiently waiting for May to begin for weeks as we will be (hopefully!) finding out the gender of our baby, going on holiday and have two bank holiday weekends so April has been quite a long and boring month. As always, I don't have a huge number of products to share with you, but quality over quantity eh?!

I swithered over whether to include the Rimmel Wake Me Up foundation as I'm not sure how I feel about it, but I've found myself reaching for it every morning recently. I bought this in late February on a bit of a whim- I'd just run out of all of my day-to-day foundations, the supermarket only had a Rimmel stand and I knew it was popular amongst bloggers and youtubers- and the first time I used it I thought it was terrible. At that point I was in the first trimester of my pregnancy and my skin had gone haywire, and this just seemed to highlight all of my imperfections. Once my skin cleared, I tried it again and the difference was like night and day. People commented on how 'well' and 'glowing' I looked (and believe me, I the natural pregnancy glow seems to have escaped me entirely)!

I've found the trick is to be a bit more generous with the product, and use two pumps instead of one. Using a stippling brush and really working it in really helps with the glow, rather than having a shiny layer just sitting on your skin. I know some people worry about the glitter in the product, but I only see this in the bottle, it doesn't transfer to the face at all. My only complaint at the moment is that the scent reminds me of suncream, which makes me want to go on holiday so badly!

With the weather being so changeable recently, my skin has become really dry and uncomfortable. I recently ran out of my night cream so was using my day one, but it wasn't really repairing the skin. I was recommended the No7 Essential Moisture range by the consultant, and I've been blown away by the difference. After showering my skin felt so tight and I was waking up feeling the same- obviously the day cream wasn't penetrating deeply enough through the night. This soothes it straight away, and my skin still feels amazing the next morning. It's also the cheapest moisturiser in the No7 range at £9.50 which is another bonus!

I have also been loving the No7 High Shine Lip Crayon in Statement. The formulation of these are great, giving the finish of a gloss with the hydration of a balm and have decent staying power of about three hours. The rest of the shade range looks lovely, and I'd definitely recommend Statement as the perfect everyday 'throw on and don't worry' colour.

Another budget find has been the Collection Extreme 24 Hour Felt Tip Liner. I avoid liquid liner like the plague, but lately I've been feeling that my kohl liner is a bit too heavy for my top lids. This is the perfect way to achieve the liquid look with the most idiot-proof application. I'm ashamed to admit that the 24 hours claim does hold up after waking up a few times recently with my eye make-up still perfectly intact. Even after nights out I've always managed to take my make-up off (however shoddily). Honestly, the things pregnancy does to you!

And last but not least is the Benefit They're Real mascara. I've professed my love for this time and time again but I always find myself straying in a bid to find a cheaper alternative. Well I opened this tube at the beginning of the month and it is as amazing as ever. Argh, why can't you be less expensive?!

Well it was just as well I didn't have any more favourites as I seem to have rambled on about these six for quite enough! Well done and thanks if you made it through!

What have you been loving this month?



The £1 Makeup Brush

While picking up a couple of essentials at my local Poundland I spotted a few makeup brushes on the shelves. I've never seen these before, so apologies if this is old news! I actually passed right by them because I automatically assumed they'd be rubbish, but I reconsidered and picked one up with the thought that at least if it was terrible I'd only wasted £1. The range included a foundation, kabuki, powder and blush brush. I picked the angled blush brush because I thought it would probably be the most versatile.

 

 

Whilst I'll admit that it isn't my favourite brush in my collection, for the price it's actually quite a nifty little tool. I've used it to apply sheer foundations, as a stippling brush, for contouring and of course for blusher and it does the job well. I think the pink at the top of the bristles is a bit tacky, but I don't hold it against the product as it's sturdy and well-made. So far, I haven't had any bristles fall out and it held-up fine after washing.

The rest of the products in the range are brushes that I already have from other brands and most definitely don't need, but if they were to expand the range I'd certainly buy some more and think they're more than worth the £1 price tag.

Have you tried any Poundland makeup tools? What did you think? Would you consider trying them? 

Budget Buy: Argan Conditioner

Just a quick little post today to share a product that I've been really pleasantly surprised with over the last couple of weeks. I picked this Argan Oil conditioner up for 99p from B&M purely because I was in a rush and thought 'well how bad can it be?' Turns out that it is not bad at all, and something that I'll definitely be re-purchasing.

As with all Argan Oil products, this promises to rejuvenate and rehydrate hair to leave it strong, smooth and shiny. I can't say it makes my hair any shinier (although I've never found a product that delivers well on this) but it certainly does make it extra soft and easy to manage without weighing it down or making it greasy- I can still go two or three days in between washing with this. The consistency isn't overly thick, so I use this as an everyday conditioner rather than a treatment, although if you were to leave it on for an extended period then I'm sure it would do the job. In fact, I shall do this and report back! Coconut, olive and avocado oil are listed in the ingredients, but I wouldn't say the scent reminds me of either, I just liken it to a fresh fruity scent. It does linger in your hair after drying and even through to the next day though which is amazing!

As I said, I bought mine from B&M, and I've also seen this before in the likes of Home Bargains, Poundland and Wilko so it's easily accessible, and for 99p you really can't go wrong!

Do you have any budget buys you've been pleasantly surprised by? 

Budget Buy: Aldi's Suncare Range

Sorting out your sun protection for your holiday (or the two days of summer we get here- not bitter at all) can become pricey. Yes, there are budget brands on the market, but I've yet to find one of these with more than a three star UVA protection (UVA= the nasty aging rays). The brands with five star UVA protection all tend to cost around £15 a bottle. For a family of four on a two week holiday... urgh I dread to think of the cost.

That being said, I always insist on having decent sun-lotion. And so I was pleasantly surprised when I came across the Aldi Lacura range. The whole range boasts a five star UVA rating, comes in a variety of formulations across an SPF range of 15-50 and (drumroll please) all come in at under £3!

As we were going on holiday to Florida, and being the pale Scots we are, we wanted to go for SPF50. There are no 'adult' versions of the SPF50 products, so we just bought the ones marketed for kids.

If that gorgeous suncream scent is a must on your list then you will be a bit disappointed by these as both the spray and lotion smell distinctly alcohol-y. I was worried that this would dry out my skin as well as make me smell like a brewery, but it seems to evaporate upon application and no scent remains. The spray is marketed for sensitive skin, and I certainly had no ill effects, but neither my boyfriend or I have sensitive skin.

Being factor 50, I was pleasantly surprised that the lotion isn't overly thick, is easily absorbed and doesn't leave a tell-tale ghost-like sheen. The spray is in the same boat, and has the advantage that it can be used upside-down, making application easy-peasy. As with every other suncream, apply before going into the sun, and re-apply regularly. Protection is on par with any other factor 50 I've tried, and we managed to successfully avoid being those burnt British tourists on holiday! Knowing Scotland, I probably won't need such a high factor during the summer, but I'll definitely be stocking up on some SPF30 from the range!

At £2.79 each (for 200ml spray and 150ml lotion), these are my new must-have for sun protection. The range performs just as well as brands I've tried which are double/triple/quadruple the price, leaving spare pennies for other important holiday purchases...