Festive Face

Chanel Lipstick in Gabrielle | Karl for Shu Uemura | Too Faced Candlelight Glow

Christmas calls for extra sparkle and more red. I'll be wearing one of my favourite red lipsticks Chanel Rouge Coco in Gabrielle, a slightly blue-based red that's incredibly moisturising. For some sparkle on my eyes I'll be plundering Karl for Shu Uemura Prestigious Bordeaux palette. This was limited edition so I'm unsure if it's still available anywhere. It has the most gorgeous shades of purple and golds. And on my face I'll be wearing Too Faced Candlelight Glow. Even though this is a powder it gives a lovely sheen similar to a liquid making it perfect for those with more oily skins.

Have a wonderful Christmas xx

Art: Coloured X-Ray Photos of Nature

(all images from My Modern Met)

I saw these beautiful works originally on My Modern Met and I just had to share them with you. Arie van't Riet is a radiation physicist and...

"One day, his colleague asked him to take an x-ray of one of his art paintings. It was a thin object and van't Riet had never done something like this before, but as he said, "it worked." This got him thinking about what other kinds of thin objects he could x-ray and flowers came to mind. He started with a bouquet of tulips. The analog image, or the silver bromide x-ray film, resembled a black and white negative. It was digitized, inverted, and then selectively colorized in Photoshop. "And then some people told me that's art," he humorously states, "and I became an artist.""(source)

Aren't they stunning? There's more over on the My Modern Met page, peruse at your pleasure.

A Mini MUA Luxe Haul: Velvet Lip Lacquer in Reckless & Funk, and Powerbrow

top- Reckless, bottom- Funk

MUA (MakeUp Academy) recently released their Luxe collection. These come with fancier packaging than the standard MUA offerings, eg. the lip lacquers come in frosted glass packaging giving it a slightly higher-end feel. The prices are still low-end though, the lip lacquer and Power Brow both cost £3 each, which is rather fantastic. 

The Velvet Lip Lacquers come in 5 colours. I chose Reckless, a cool-toned strong raspberry red, and Funk, a cool toned mid bright pink. Both are highly pigmented and one swipe is all you need. Which is handy because building them up isn’t so great. This causes them to be a bit flakey and doesn’t give the smooth, velvet finish that one swipe gives.

The lip lacquers dry down pretty quickly and they will feel dry on your lips. If it gets too uncomfortable a little bit of lip balm stops the dryness. It does take away the matte-ness though. They remind me of NYX's Soft Matte Lip Cream's  and they're a decent cheap and cheerful dupe of Guerlain's Rouge L'Extrait.

I’m really impressed with these. They’re long-lasting, highly pigmented and beautiful colours. You really can’t go wrong for £3 a pop.

MUA’s Powerbrow in Mid Brown is another great performing product. I don’t like to define my eyebrows too heavily and this product is ideal for a light application or a more heavily defined brow. Mid Brown is perfect for my colouring, I’m very pale with naturally dark brown hair. It also comes in Fair and Dark Brow. I use the crayon side to lightly fill in my eyebrows where needed and the highlighter sides adds a nice bit of lift to the eyes. I’d go easy on the highlighter side throughout the day though, it is a bit glimmery. 

Again I’m really impressed with this product. It’s easy to use and lasts all day and for £3 it’s definitely a bargain.

Have you tried anything from MUA’s Luxe line?

Pregnant with Disabilities: An Update

I’m now entering my 35th week of pregnancy. I’ve seen obstetricians and an anesthetist, and of course my midwife. Thanks to the extra care I’ve been receiving everything is going well. For a recap of why I need extra care please see this post. 

I won’t lie, it’s getting really difficult now. I’m incredibly uncomfortable, sleeping is hard and my pain is increasing. The mobility I did have is greatly reduced. However, I’m still coping okay. This is in large part thanks to the support I’m currently receiving from the NHS and previous support for chronic pain. My husband and family are also brilliant. I wouldn’t be managing as well without them.

So, the medical stuff. I’ve continued to take medication throughout my pregnancy for pain and IBS. Baby’s growth hasn’t been affected by this. Of course I still worry that it may affect baby after birth but I have been reassured that the medication I’ve been taking is safe throughout pregnancy when it comes to deformities (nothing was picked up on the scans either) etc. The older the medication the better. It’s notoriously difficult to carry out large scale studies of medication on pregnant women, so information gathered over years and years often provide doctors with a better idea of how medication will affect mother and child. Dihydrocodeine (which I take) is thankfully an old drug. Like other Opioids, it’s known to cross the placenta and can cause respiratory problems in baby after birth. I’ve managed to cut my dose right down and the doctors aren’t concerned about the level I’m on. However, if you need to take a bigger dose than me, you and baby will be closely monitored. So please don’t freak out in case you think you can’t manage a reduced dosage. 

I have several options available to me for birth. If my pain and discomfort becomes too unbearable I may be induced. Depending on you’re own disability this may be the desired option for you. Again, the pros and cons will be weighed up and discussed by you and your medical team. Due to my spinal damage I won’t be able to get an epidural, but to be honest I wasn’t that bothered about getting one (oh God, I’m sure I’ll regret these words). There is a range of other pain relief options available to me though. I discussed this with an anesthetist who really put me at ease and made sure I was aware of all possible circumstances; including an emergency Caesarean. Thankfully, there shouldn’t be a problem doing a spinal block on me. I just hope the need doesn’t arise!  

Any worries that I had previous to pregnancy have been allayed by the amazing treatment I’ve been receiving. If you are considering becoming pregnant but your disability is worrying you I highly recommend you ask your GP to refer you to an obstetrician. In my experience I’ve found that they’re the ones that really know about medication. I was given some bad advice from a midwife I saw early in my pregnancy which scared the shit out of me. I think it was mainly due to her own inexperience or indeed her ideology. I spoke about the issue (breastfeeding and medication) with the obstetrician and she wasn’t concerned at all about it. 

I’ll try and update after the birth. But at the moment I don’t have any concerns with the actual labour, well besides the obvious stuff! I should say I don’t have any concerns that my disability will make labour anymore difficult. So, all I have to do now is try to relax and wait.

If you have any questions about my experience or want to ask something I may have left out please feel free to contact me. I’m not easily embarrassed. 

Maybelline 24 hour Color Tattoo in Metallic Pomegranate

Let me start by getting my gripe out the way. The name Metallic Pomegranate. Okay it’s definitely metallic but it’s not the colour of a pomegranate. Pomegranates are jewel red, well to me anyway. I’d more accurately describe the colour as fig. Anyway, Maybelline 24 hour Color Tattoo in Metallic Pomegranate *sigh* is a browny-red tone gel-eyeshadow with flints of metallic sparkles through it. It is the prettiest colour, and perfect for winter. 

This is actually my first Maybelline Color Tattoo and I really quite like it, a lot. It’s easy to wear. I’ve been wearing a look inspired by this Winter Berry Daytime Look on Beaut.ie.  I’ve been applying Metallic Pomegranate with my pinky finger, which makes it easy to apply a light wash or a heavier finish. It also works good as an eyeliner. I’ve been using EcoTools Flat Eyeliner brush which is amazing, I’ll do a full review soon.

The texture is a cream-gel but thankfully it’s not too slippy on application, it blends easily and dries quite quickly so when it’s set it won’t budge all day nor will it crease. I’ll definitely be purchasing more colours.

I bought mine from Superdrug for £4.99  it’s also available from Boots 

Have you tried it? Any colour recommendations?

Amie Morning Clear Purifying Facial Wash

I’ve been using Amie Morning Clear Purifying Facial Wash for quite a while now. It’s not a brand I had tried before but I wanted face wipes for my hospital bag so I picked up Amie’s version and thought I’d give the face wash a go too. What drew me to this facial wash is the fact that it’s soap-free. My skin’s been a bit chaotic with pregnancy and I was looking for something gentle to cleanse with in the morning. Amie facial wash is perfect for this. It doesn’t dry the skin or leave it tight and uncomfortable. It leaves my skin soft and clean without feeling like its been stripped.

Amie Morning Clear Purifying Facial Wash is creamy and doesn’t lather. I was unsure how well this would rinse because it feels quite thick, but it rinses easily with warm water. There’s no residue left, just soft, cleansed skin. It contains Orange Blossom, Mayblossom, Elderflower and Raspberry. These ingredients give it a very gentle scent that isn’t overwhelming and dissipates on the skin.

This facial wash would work well on most skin types, but is really great for sensitive. I haven’t experienced any irritation or acne due to this product. It’s free from parabens, sulphates, mineral oils and animal extracts, making it suitable for vegetarians and vegans. 

Have you tried this or anything else from this brand?

New Ellis Faas Hot Lips

Oh my, aren't the new Ellis Faas Hot Lips amazing? Full of pigment and non-drying, these look like a lip product to have. My favourites are L404, L405, L406 (which I think I'll treat myself to, well it is near Christmas), L407, and L408. So, nearly them all! They are really lovely though.

Do any of these catch your eye? Have you had a chance to try them out?

For more info and to buy visit Ellis Faas.

(Ellis Faas is cruelty-free.)

Lush Brazened Honey Fresh Face Mask

Is it possible to fall in love with a face mask? I suppose Freud would have some interesting, if nonsensical things to say about it. Whatever, I am declaring my love for Lush’s Brazened Honey Fresh Mask. Despite its name it doesn’t overwhelmingly smell of honey, although you can smell it. It smells more, to me anyway, of ginger and lime. It’s a refreshing smell, zingy yet relaxing. I like it. But I like the effects even more. My skin is not at its best at the moment, pregnancy is taking its toll. I did check to see if this product is pregnancy safe and Lush say that all their products are. Skin changes throughout pregnancy though makes your skin sensitive to ingredients that previously were fine. So, if you are pregnant just make sure you won’t have a pregnancy-related reaction. I haven’t had any problems with Brazened Honey. Some face masks can burn or sting my sensitive, combination skin. But this is beautifully soothing. This isn’t the main reason I love this though, the main reason is that it seriously perks my skin up. I actually look like I’ve had a deep, rested sleep ( I haven’t).

Brazened Honey is kept in the fridge so application is cool and soothing. It’s also exfoliating on application give this a good rub on your face before leaving it for 5-10 mins. It hardens up so it’s ideal for another exfoliation on removal. Immediately after removal my skin feels incredibly soft and ahhhh, you know that feeling. It’s properly lovely. So, I highly recommend giving this face mask a go. It definitely perks up tired, dull skin.

Link: Lush

Guerlain Rouge G in Madame Batifole

Hello there! My posts are getting even more sporadic now. I’m in my third trimester so that in itself is taking a bit of a toll. And I also have a cold, I’m being a brave soldier though. Anyway, Guerlain Rouge G in Madame Batifole was a birthday present, at £31 it’s a definite luxury buy. But look at it, it’s so pretty. Madame Batifole is part of Guerlain’s limited collection for Autumn. You can see the rest of the collection on the Escentual blog. I really love the look of the nail polish too, but well it’s £18.

Madame Batifole (isn’t that a great name? Inspired by the Parisian boutique at “68 Champs-Élysées” donchaknow) is a beautiful rich, jewel coloured fuchsia that leans towards the blue. I think it’d suit most skin tones though and would look amazing on dark skin. One swipe is fully opaque and as expected the formula is gorgeous. It’s moisturising and incredibly comfortable to wear. One swipe lasts ages on my lips. Like most Guerlain lip products it smells of violets, I don’t notice it on the lips though. If you’re looking for a treat you really can’t go wrong with a Guerlain lip product.

(When I’m feeling a bit better I’ll do an update with me wearing Madame Batifole, I bet you can’t wait).

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Bobbi Brown Blush in Apricot

Argh this blush has gave me so much trouble trying to photograph it, I just can't seem to get a good swatch so hopefully my description of it will suffice! 

In the pan Bobbi Brown's Apricot blush looks like a very vibrant, rich pink, it applies much more softly and naturally though. Bobbi Brown’s site describes it as a bright apricot, I think it’s more of a pink with apricot undertones. If you want it brighter it’s easily built up. Apricot is really pigmented but sheer-ish, if you get what I mean. There’s no drop-out with this silky-smooth blush. I use Real Techniques blush brush to apply all my powder blush. It just picks up enough and blends it out beautifully. Highly recommended if you haven’t tried it.

Bobbi Brown blusher in Apricot gives a nice, healthy looking glow. Something I much need at the moment! I’ve applied this lightly to add a touch of colour. I really do love this blush. It’s straight forward to apply, it’s not powdery on the skin and it blends out beautifully. It also lasts all day on my combination skin, although my cheeks are a bit dry at the moment.

The colour selection is great, there's something for everyone.I have my eye on the new colour Berry, it's beautiful and perfect for the autumn/ winter months.

Bobbi Brown’s blushes cost £19 from Bobbi Brown, John Lewis etc. If you're looking for a good, quality cheaper alternative you can't go wrong with Sleek blushes. 

Have you tried these blushes? Any colour recommendations?

Nars Semi-Matte Lipstick in Jungle Red

I think I may have found my perfect red and it’s Nars Jungle Red. A pure red, it doesn’t lean too blue nor too warm on me. It’s perfect. It’s also semi-matte so while it gives a similar appearance to a matte lipstick it is much easier to apply and more comfortable to wear. 

Jungle Red is packed full of nourishing ingredients, it has orange peel oil, other assorted orange oils, rosewood oil, bergamot oil and flower oils. This gives it a herby smell akin to a lip treatment. The smell doesn’t bother me and it does disappear on application. I find Jungle Red quite moisturising but after a while it can turn drying, nothing major though and not uncomfortable either. I really love the formula of this lipstick. It applies easy, one coat gives full, opaque coverage. It also lasts pretty well on my lips and I’m always doing something with them.

Because Jungle Red is neither too warm or too cold, it’s just right (yeah a Goldie Locks reference for you), it should suit most skin tones; from the very lightest to darkest, yellow and pink. For reference I’m fair with pink undertones and it looks pure red on me.

I’m seriously impressed with this lipstick, it’s not the cheapest but I do think if you’re looking for a good lipstick it’s worth the price. I’ve already got my eye on Trans Europe Express and 413 BLKR.

Have you tried Nars semi-matte lipsticks? What do you think of them?

Schwarzkopf Color Mask in Warm Mahogany 586

Schwarzkopf Color Mask is a new addition to the ever expanding home colouring market. The point of difference for this new hair colour is that it’s a mask, similar to a deep conditioning mask. This makes it easier to apply and is less messy than some conventional home colour kits. Instructions are straight forward enough. You add the colourant to the developer cream and shake 40 times. Once the dye is well-blended it’s applied to dry hair. The mask is easy to spread and isn’t messy at all. But you don’t get very much in a pack. In fact, Schwarzkopf recommend if you have longer than shoulder length hair you use two packs. My hair was (I’ve now had it cut) just sitting on my shoulders and very thick, and I barely managed to cover my whole head. Poor show, I think. Those of you with longer hair will definitely need two kits.

Development time for my colour was the standard 30 minutes, but there’s 3 other colours than take 45 minutes development time. The dye rinsed out easy and the conditioner in the pack gives a nice deep, condition. The dye covered grey easily and gives a nice overall colour. It’s a decent enough dye but the fact that you don’t get very much mask is a big negative for me. I probably wouldn’t purchase this again.

(sorry they're not the best photos, but you get the idea, hopefully!)

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Pregnant with Disabilities: My Experience

I’m well into my pregnancy now, almost 6 months. Before I became pregnant the thought terrified me, how would I cope? How would pregnancy impact my pain and mobility? Would I further damage my spine? And then of course, how the hell would I cope with a baby? I was 8 weeks pregnant before I found out, which was a blessing and terrifying. I’m 36 (almost 37) and everything you read tells you that your fertility drops drastically after the age of 35 so luckily we didn’t go through the anguish of trying for months, I think I would’ve found that unbearable. It was terrifying because I was taking pain medication and the early weeks are when damage to the foetus is most likely. I had to wait a further month before the first scan. The longest month of my life. Thankfully everything was developing as normal but I was still worried. 

I was taking duloxetine for nerve pain. It’s still a relatively new drug so the effects aren’t particularly well documented. To be on the safe side I decided to stop taking this medication. I’ve now had my 20 week scan, also known as the anomaly scan, and everything is fine and developing as normal. This is great news as I’m still taking some medication. I take dihydrocodeine ,or DF118s, which help makes the pain more manageable. For some women it’s just not possible to stop medication completely. Your doctor will weigh up the pros and cons of the medication you take and depending on your own circumstances you may be closely monitored. I’m receiving extra care. I’ll soon be seeing an Obstetrician who’ll oversee my care and arrange any extra scans etc. to check on baby’s progress, if needed. I’ll also see an anaesthetist to discuss pain relief during labour as it might not be possible to give an epidural due to scarring on my back.

Let me explain what my disability is so you can draw comparisons/ differences with your own experience. When I was 18 I was in a car crash. I suffered a nasty compression fracture of my lower spine. I also fractured and dislocated my right wrist, handily the one I write with, and I managed to smash most of the bones in my left foot and lower left leg. Now while these latter injuries cause me pain the overriding problem I have is my back. After the initial healing I suffered severe spondylolisthesis, or in other words, my lower vertebrae collapsed. To repair this I had to have spinal fusion surgeries. This is without doubt the most painful thing I’ve been through, and apparently childbirth pales in comparison, so I suppose that’s good! 

My spine continued to heal itself after these operations, which on the one hand is really good. It means my lower spine is solid and mostly stable. The downside is that I have a large bone mass in my lower spine which is rigid and puts pressure on my upper spine. As well as the pain I have from this I also have pain from scar tissue, nerve and muscular pain. Walking is difficult and limited, so is sitting, in fact staying in any position can cause incredible pain and discomfort. 

Chronic pain also brings its own delights. It becomes pathological, meaning it becomes its own disease. The human body’s amazing eh? *sigh* Anyway, those of you with chronic pain will know just how exhausting this is. It gnaws away at you, leaving you feeling like a husk of your former self. Chronic pain affects mood and pretty much seeps into every corner of your life. 

It’s understandable why we might feel a little bit trepidation about becoming pregnant. The body goes through a huge amount of changes which puts pressure on pretty much all your body, especially the spine. My 3rd-4th months were the most difficult (although the nausea wasn’t the great either). This is when my spine moved to allow space for my expanding womb. I didn’t think I could cope, I cried and I was exhausted. The fatigue was overwhelming. But then I adapted. I had to rest more and take time out to relax. It’s the only time I’ve been thankful for not being able to work. Some days I have to take more painkillers while on ‘better’ days I try to reduce them a bit. Luckily, I’ve also taken part in a Pain Management Programme which included Mindfulness. This has been without doubt been one of the things that is most helping me get through my pregnancy. It not only helps me deal with the pain but it also helps reduce the anxieties surrounding this. 

Other ways I cope with pain is swimming, or rather, floating about in the water. It takes pressure off my body and is incredibly relaxing. I also do stretches in the pool to keep my body as pliable as I can. During pregnancy your body will release a hormone called Relaxin. Relaxin helps your body to become looser and can be beneficial for those suffering from muscular pain. Unfortunately I haven’t experienced any benefits myself but I know others have, and their pain remained reduced until 5-6 months after birth. 

Rather absurdly, having a disability has actually been helpful while dealing with pregnancy. It’s prepared me for limitations, pain and uncomfortableness. It’s HARD work. I expect in the later stages of my pregnancy I’ll be able to do even less than I can now and all the extra weight and pressure will take its toll on my spine, but so far it’s been worth it. Seeing your baby at the scans is mind-blowing and knowing that everything is progressing normally is one of the best things you’ll hear. Then there’s those little movements in the womb. At night when I can’t sleep despite extreme fatigue and pain, I’ll lie there in amongst all my pillows and feel baby squirming and popping about. IT’S THE BEST THING EVER.

Something to bear in mind when considering pregnancy, instead of letting your fears and worries frighten you, think that you already do a remarkable job at adapting to your life. You’ve probably developed a whole range of different skills and coping techniques to live your life day to day, you may also be able to adapt them to being pregnant. So, while pregnancy is a huge challenge consider that it’s probably in your skill-set to achieve it. It may not be easy, but then again it might be. 

Let me summarise my advice:

Speak to your doctor about medication or ask to be referred to an Obstetrician or someone who specialises in your own disability. And do your own research. Things like Google Scholar should help you find academic and peer reviewed research.

Try to get to a healthy weight, if not already. This will make your life easier as well as reducing any complications during pregnancy like gestational diabetes.

Relax! Do relaxation techniques and mindfulness. These are invaluable. Read, listen to music, do whatever you enjoy to get some relief. It can be *very* stressful and these things will help to take your mind of your symptoms. 

Exercise, if you can and do whatever you can. It’ll help prepare you for labour and help your overall well-being. Somedays keeping active means for me a walk down the garden path and back which is roughly 30-40 metres, so it’s all relative. 

Plan! If you have doctor/midwife/hospital appointments make sure you give yourself plenty of rest time in between. My midwife has been excellent with this, she staggers appointments so I’m not doing too much at once.

Ask your partner/family/friends for help, you'll need it.

Oh and enjoy it! It’s hard but it’s also pretty damn amazing.