Thursday, 22 August 2019
Before becoming pregnant, I suffered with really sensitive and combination skin, with patches of dry. My skin would react in different ways to certain products and would sometimes sting, such as using exfoliators that would tear the skin and cause me to break out and go red. My skin would be dry around my forehead and around my nose and I was really oily within my t-zone, sometimes to the point that my nose would 'leak' oil, it really was not the best. I have never really been happy with my skin and always found it a struggle to find a skincare routine to suit me.
That was up until I came across The Ordinary skincare products, I searched for products that were suited to my skin and would cause me the less irritation and make my skin feel and look so much better than it already was. I did think at first it was the pregnancy that was making my skin feel worse, but I soon realised that it was just my skin in general and my skin just didn't like certain products, which I have come to eliminate from my bathroom cabinet. So I thought I would give The Ordinary a go, from what I had looked up and so far, my skin is the best it has ever felt.
Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution
(Althought not recommended for 'sensitive skin', this product works for me!) This is essentially my 'exfoliator', I have decided that exfoliators with materials inside them created to remove dead skin from my face are a bit too abrasive, so needed an alternative that would be kinder to my skin. I find that using this solution works well as an exfoliation product and help smooths out my skin, by gently removing dead skin cells and reveals brighter skin. The ingredients in the toning solution help with irritation and redness, reduces inflammation and enhances radiance.Natural Moisturizing Factors + HA
Trying to find moisturisers that fit my skin can be quite a pain, especially with suffering with an oily t-zone, they can tend to make my skin look oiler or just not soak into my skin properly. I tend to apply this moisturiser once I have finished applying any serums, etc as it is always my finishing layer when it comes to my skincare routine, whether it be my daytime skincare routine or just before I go to bed. It definitely gives my skin the hydration that it so desperately needs in places, especially around my nose area where I am really prone to dry skin.
Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%
Breaking out in random blemishes and being really oily is definitely one of my worst skin traits. My face creates a lot of sebum, which in turns makes my face really congested and then spots and blackheads start to appear. It really doesn't help that I have very large pores on my face which then become congested. I found that the Niacinamide and Zine helped in terms off helping with the congestion, by balancing sebum production in the skin and helps to brighten the skin all at the same time. It reduces the appearance of blemishes, redness, enlarged pores, uneven tone and oily skin - all of which describes the skin on my face perfect. I find this product does exactly what it says and I have found my skin to be a lot less oilier and finding my pores to be minimalistic.Squalane Cleanser
This is definitely the perfect cleanser for my face (including my trusty oil cleanser from The Body Shop!). It is suitable for all skin types, including my sensitive combination skin. I tend to use this as a first cleanse, as sometimes I find that one cleanse isn't enough for my skin, especially when it comes to feeling congested. It helps with the removal of makeup, which I do like in a cleanser, so I'm not washing either off separately to another. It's gentle on the skin and leaves the skin feeling smooth and soft, even before the moisturiser and serums have been applied to the face, just what my skin really needs.AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution
Not one for the faint hearted in my honest opinion, when I first tried this product I thought I was having a mild reaction to the product, to find that it just creates a tingling sensation to the skin when it starts working it's magic. It is definitely a strong product and shouldn't be used once a day, it's a once a week type of product. I agree with Caroline Hirons when she says it should only be used by season pros, it is quite potent! It is another one of those products that helps treat the top layer of skin by removing dead skin and help revealing a brighter and clearer complexion - one I reach for when my skin needs that extra attention.*Disclaimer: This is not a collaboration nor were the items gifted, I purchased The Ordinary products with my own money. All honest opinions, words and photographs are that of my own.
Saturday, 17 August 2019
I am getting to that point in my life now where I need to start becoming more organised, I am going to be a mum in 15 weeks! That includes the food shopping and planning ahead for the week, so I remember to eat, as well as keeping bub well fed and not starving Matt all at the same time. I know there will be times that I'll be so tired that I will more than likely forget to eat or struggle to find the time to make a meal. I know Matt will be there to help on the evenings, but during the day it will be just me and my bambino (unless I have my mum or other family members helping me out).
I came across this recipe box from Gousto who were offering a 4 meal recipe box for 2 for 60% off your very first box and then 30% off for the rest of the month on your next box. I only wanted to try the very first box, so I was able to give other recipe boxes a try and see which one was best value for money and which had the best quality ingredients. But with the 60% discount, I had to jump at the chance to try it for such a bargain offer!
Let's talk about initial first impressions when opening the box for the first time; you are greeted with the recipe cards of the meals that you pre-selected before the box is sent out. Gousto gives you a choice of several meals that are available for your selected delivery day. The recipe cards outline the ingredients that you will need for each meal (all ingredients are included within the box) and the method on how to make each one in terms of how long it will take to prep and cook. If you have any allergens, it also lets you know what allergen is in each of the ingredients, so you are able to find alternatives if you are able to or you can choose to leave it out altogether. It also includes ingredient amounts, so if you choose to recreate the recipe, you can adjust to how many people you are cooking for!
A nice little touch to the box is that they add a nice little surprise as a little extra. In the box that I received was a nice little branded wooden spoon that I pretty much use all of the time now, it is actually a really good utensil and comes in handy when cooking dinner! It now lives with the rest of my cooking utensils that I keep in my steel Ikea utensil holder. My definite go to utensil (is this what adulting has become?).
The meat that is selected for your meals are fresh on the day and they do each have their own best before date of when you need to use them by. Gousto aim to send you fresh UK sourced ingredients and ones of which are red tractor stamped, as you know you are going to be using and eating quality meat. The vegetables that are also included in the box are fresh on the day, which must be refrigerated on the day of arrival, to keep them fresh before creating your recipes! Each one is individually wrapped to keep up the level of freshness.
The 'dry/wet ingredients', in terms of spices, herbs and sauces are put in a separate brown bag and are loose, so you are able to identify what it is that you're using! Most recipes only call for a small amount of the packaged spices and herbs in the box, so you will need to measure out what you need to use, so always handy to have some measuring spoons and scales on hand, just in case!
I found the portion sizes in this box were very overwhelming, I was worried that the portion sizes were going to be really small and wouldn't be enough to feed me, let alone my 6ft3 well built boyfriend! But they really were a force to be reckoned with, I was not only full I was satisfied, I could have quite easily cut my portion sizes by half... but with me being pregnant, I think that factored into my portion size! I may have found them overwhelming, but I see this as a positive as I find having too much rather than too little is not a bad thing, as there is always leftovers and everyone loves a good leftover meal.
Would I recommend Gousto? Most definitely, some of the subscription prices seem quite pricey, but in term of quality of ingredients and portion size, it makes every bite worth every penny and each portion size is very affordable, on each of the different subscription boxes available. You are never stuck in a subscription and you are able to pause/cancel at anytime!
Gousto are currently offering 60% off your first box and 30% off all other boxes again. But there is only a day left to grab your offer, as it goes back down to 50% after then, which in all honesty is just as good! Grab one before they go!
*Disclaimer: I purchased the recipe box with my own money. All honest opinions, words and photographs are that of my own.
Thursday, 23 May 2019
Finding Out That We're Pregnant!
Rugeley WS15, UK
We (Me & Matt - my boyfriend) found out that I was pregnant on Sunday 24th March 2019, after having taken a Clearblue Digital test which had come up pregnant literally 30 seconds after taking it, I would say I was in pure shock but I just had a feeling and deep down I already knew. I waited a bit longer and the 2+3 weeks pregnancy sign had come up, which means I was so far gone but couldn't know for certain, although I had a rough idea going from my (LMP - Last Menstrual Period). I started hyperventilating and freaking out, out of pure excitement that it was actually happening and I automatically facetimed my mum. My mum actually found out I was pregnant before I told Matt, as I tell my mum everything and it shows by the fact she was the first person I thought of. I started crying, my mum started crying. By this time I had rang Matt to come over and held the pregnancy test out and told him I was pregnant, I've never seen a man so happy before, he was so excited!
I had originally took a test on Sunday 17th March 2019, I had used a rapid response pregnancy test, but because all the other tests had come back negative I had chucked it in the bin after a short while, being all impatient. I found that after I went to clean the bin out a week later in the bathroom, I took another look at the test and I was absolutely gobsmacked, it was only bloody positive! I would say it was an evaporation line but it was there clear as day and super dark! I felt bloody bad because the Saturday before I took the second test I had drank a few gins, but I didn't get drunk as I didn't feel like it and now I know why!
I am currently 13 weeks pregnant to this day, I should be due sometime the end of November but I won't find out until my dating scan on Saturday 25th May at 11:40am! I am super excited to see my baby on that screen again. Roll on the gender scan.
I am currently 13 weeks pregnant to this day, I should be due sometime the end of November but I won't find out until my dating scan on Saturday 25th May at 11:40am! I am super excited to see my baby on that screen again. Roll on the gender scan.
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