BB Cream Review (Garnier, Maybelline, Nivea)

A good BB cream is a must for any busy mum.
Beauty Balm “BB” is your skincare regime in one tube It moisturises, protects, and corrects. No foundation needed. It is a very over crowded market at the moment so a lot of people don't know how to choose the one that's right for them. A lot of BB creams are categorised according to skin types rather than color tones, so you can wear the product according to your skin conditions.

How is it different to a tinted moisturiser? A tinted moisturiser only hydrates and evens out the complexion with minimal coverage, a foundation covers the skin with a layer of color and gives it a flawless finish. BB creams go above and beyond that and moisturise, protect, and corrects flaws.

I have chosen 3 reasonably priced BB creams to review.

Garnier, Miracle skin perfector: €13.99 
This product basically does what it says it does, no more. I used the medium colour and think it has a nice glow, when first applied I thought it had a bit of an orange tone, but once blended it looks fine.  My skin is on the drier side, so this works well with my skin and keeps it hydrated. This can replace my moisturiser, but because I prefer a little more protection I tend to use a product with SPF 30+ underneath as this product only has SPF 15. This offers a very light coverage that is not buildable, and I'm fine with that because I don't think that's it's purpose. I don't think it would work well for people with oily skin as it is a quite oily cream. The coverage does not last all day, but I don't mind that as I'm not  a big make up wearer during the week.

Nivea, 5in1 beautifying moisturiser: €8.49
This was the cheapest of the BB creams I reviewed and defiantly my least favorite. I used the medium/dark shade and found it too dark even tho I have a quite olive complexion and a slight tan as its summer. The product does not glide smoothly at all and is very quick at setting. You have literally 30 seconds to do your entire face before looking like a camouflage suit. The BB cream has a very thick texture similar to that of the original Nivea. I feel maybe this cream might be suited better to an oily skin as I have quite dry skin it felt like my skin was a sponge absorbing the product and my skin looked very uneven and blotchy. It also only has SPF 10 which I don't feel is high enough.

Maybelline, Dream pure BB:€11.99 
This product was by far my favourite. This product has 2% salicylic acid which is great for acne prone skin.  I used the medium and found the colour was perfect.
It provides light/medium coverage which is enough for me and is very lightweight so it feels like I have no foundation on. It does not completely cover blemishes but helps to even out skin tone. It has a natural but matte finish which is gorgeous and makes my skin feel incredibly soft. For sensitive skin it is perfect and despite salicylic acid sounding harsh it is actually incredibly gentle. I did not have any reaction or drying of my skin while using this product. 

I found that this definitely helped with blemishes and even reduced the appearance of my acne scarring.

Sinead. x

Style File

Style File

Every week we have decided to share our picks of affordable stylish treats from beauty, fashion and interiors. Why?
Because life's too short not to spoil yourself every now and then!!

This week we heart.........



This gorgeous statement necklace from Penney's. Its a perfect piece to bring some sparkle and colour to any outfit and an absolute steal at €6!

These cute vintage style wooden hearts also from Penney's. A great buy at €3 each, they add a little extra love to a bedroom by hanging them on a wall or over furniture knobs.

We are also loving Wet'n'Wild megaslicks balm stains available in Dunne's Stores. These moisturizing balms come in a variety of flattering pink/red shades and are so handy to pop on in the morning,  essential for any busy mum!

6 things that happen when you have a C-section

My first child Daniel came into this world via emergency C section, or as a friend stated "he came out through the sun roof!" Here are somethings I wish I had known beforehand........




 1. The actual C-section is not that bad!!

With pain relief a-plenty, multiple doctors and nurses fussing over you, no pushing and your little bundle of joy arriving rather quickly, it kind of takes the "labour" out of labour! The thoughts and fears of going in to have a C-section are quite often worse than the reality,







2. The lost hours


Bearing in mind that you have just had major abdominal surgery, you will have to go into solitary recovery for at least two hours after your section. This can mean that you miss out on that special first few hours bonding time with your baby and partner.  They also put you on some pretty hardcore painkillers for the first few hours, so when you do get to properly meet your little one, it can all seem a bit surreal and woozy. Don't be too hard on yourself if you can't remember it clearly or if you don't get that movie style burst of love and emotion for your baby, you have just birthed a human, which is pretty overwhelming! You have plenty of time to make up for the first few lost hours.


3. Breast feeding is really hard!


Some mother and babies are a text book example of natures intention for our bosoms and others find it near impossible. Now it is possible to breastfeed after a c-section many mothers do, but it is difficult trying to get your baby to latch on correctly when your attached to a morphine drip and feel more out of it than a student at freshers week! There is no shame in turning to formula. Most of us we reared on bottles and we are all kind of o.k...........right!?!




4. You may become very swollen....


And I don't mean "ooooh I feel a little bloated", we are talking Stay Puft man from "Ghostbusters" here! Because during regular labour a lot of the excess fluid gets pushed out of your body with the force of contractions, this process does not happen with a c-section birth. From the waist down you can become very swollen for approx 10-14 days after. My ankles were pretty much the same width as my thighs for about a week, which meant I couldn't fit into shoes or my lovely new hospital pyjama's, and had to wear very attractive thigh high support bandages for a fortnight.......oh the horror!!



5. The recovery time

Although we may have had a sightly quicker or easier labour than our pushing sisters, the recovery period can be considerably longer. Instead of the regular three day stay in hospital, your stay is extended to 5 days. There is no heavy lifting, driving for six weeks and you may be on strong painkillers for a week or so. You also will have acquired a quite impressive abdominal scar! I personally don't mind the look of mine, and I was lucky enough to have those nifty dissolvable stitches which meant minimal aftercare, although some ladies do have to get metal staples to close their c-section which have to be removed by a doctor at a later date.



6. It is all worth it!


You have a wonderful new little person in your life, what is more special than that! Now just look at that ickle wickle chubby face..............!!











Katie :)

DIY Photo Booth Props

Whether its a wedding, a big birthday or even just a kids party there is nothing more fun than a photo booth. It can be as big and elaborate or as small and cute as you want.
 I got married last year and while planning our wedding we decided it would be fun and would make for some funny pictures if we had a little photo booth. As it was my first time trying anything like this and I was going to be making all the props myself I decided to go with a small scale operation.
 I liked the idea of having a frame that people could hold up and stand behind for the pictures so I enlisted the help of my husband and father in law for this task.  They just used some beading from the hardware shop and this added a simple design to the frame.
 For the props themselves I looked up free prop printable s online, but instead of printing them out I zoomed in on the pictures till they were the size I wanted and I traced from the computer screen onto white paper. I then cut them out to make templates. I used plain coloured card for the mustaches and lips and I used patterned card for the dicki-bows and hats. When I had all this done I got a pack of skewers from Tesco and cut off the sharp ends to make sticks.  I then simply taped the card cut outs to the sticks and voila I had my props for my photo booth.
 When displaying the props at the wedding I left them in jam jars with some ribbon tied the jar for that chic vintage look. It was something that we enjoyed making and using and I would recommend it as an easy DIY project for everyone.

Sinead.x

Bumbo Seat Review

So like many parents out there, we hear about the latest fads and gadgets, the Bumbo seat is one of these. It sounds good but does it live up to the hype? The answer is contradictory... Yes and no! I was given this as a present from a friend and was thrilled as I had heard good things about it. It says on the box it's for 3months plus, but this really depends on the strength of your baby's neck muscles, some kids might be able before 3months some maybe a bit later. Cillian was nearly 4months old before I could leave him in it for more than a couple of minutes as he kept slouching to the side. When he was strong enough to sit in it, he absolutely loved it. He was able to sit up and look around and I was able to put toys on the tray for him to pick up and play with. I also found it excellent for sitting him in when I was weaning him as he was still a little but small for the highchair. The seat is lightweight and compact which makes it perfect for traveling and bringing along when going visiting family and friends. Cillian is 6 months old now and we are still using this seat regularly, although the last week or two I have noticed that he is stretching his feet out and arching his back when he wants to get out and I'm afraid that this may lead to him knocking the seat over. I also find as he's a chubby baby his thighs are getting a bit big for the leg slots, although my 6year old can fit in it and seems reasonably comfortable, so this leads me to think that it's the kind of purchase that I may have to stop using for a few months but that I'll be able to go back to when Cillian is about 18months old. At this age he will be able to get himself in and out of it as he chooses. Overall I think it is a good product and a nice gift to get. Although I feel it is slightly overpriced for the limited time you do get the use from it. 

Sinead. x