G O O D B Y E T O A P R I L S H O W E R S . . .
It feels as though spring has well and truly arrived during the past week, doesn’t it? What with the blossom everywhere you look, and the ducklings that potter over from the pond to our front garden for their breakfast, and the sunshine that finally has started to pack a punch, I feel like we can finally, FINALLY say that winter is well and truly behind us!
I thought today I’d share a couple of the bits and bobs that I’ve been enjoying most over the past few weeks- a little selection of ‘Spring favourites’, if you will!
Embryolisse Lait-Creme Concentre
I actually mentioned this moisturiser in my post about Birchbox a couple of weeks ago, and need to thank the box-curation team for the mini tube of Lait-Creme that arrived through my letterbox a couple of months ago that led to my discover of the magic of Embryolisse!
It’s such a lovely moisturiser- light and yet ultra-hydrating, and without the slight greasy feel that my other favourite moisturiser (La Roche Posay Rosaliac UV) has. I’ve been using it every evening since I first discovered it, and am certain it’s been helping keep my skin balanced during a time when my hormones are pretty all over the place!
It makes a great base for makeup too, though since it doesn’t have any SPF, I’m currently still using my La Roche Posay each morning to protect my skin whilst my melanin levels are raised during pregnancy.
I couldn’t do a round up of my favourite things for the past month or so without including mention of the prints we’ve had done lately! Our wedding photographer Sam recommended a print company called SimLab, who he uses for all the printing services he offers, and they really are great.
We’ve ordered a range of sizes, from little 6x4inch shots that we’ve dotted round the house in pretty frames, to a huge A2 print of the final shot Sam took of our wedding that is now hanging in pride of place in our hallway! All the prints are such great quality, and shipping is fast too. And I’m getting to stare at photos from that happy day, every day, is just the best!
Palmer’s Cocoa Butter Stretch Mark Lotion
I’ve been using this daily for the past few months now, and it’s been the number one most recommended product to me by recently pregnant friends and family members. In fact, a friend of mine even put a bottle in the little care parcel she gifted me after we told her we were expecting!
I’m certain that getting- or not getting- stretch marks comes largely down to genes, but I’m also certain that if there’s anything I can do to help keep them at bay, I’ll be doing it!
I’ve been using this lotion all over my torso and on my thighs every morning since practically the moment that test showed up positive, and whilst I know my bump still has masses more growing to do (and my skin masses more stretching!), it’s definitely expanded a lot already and seems to be holding up so far!
And it means you end up walking round smelling like a bar of chocolate, which really is no bad thing…
Label M Organic Lemongrass Shampoo
Like most people, I’m always keen…no, DESPERATE…to try and recreate exactly what’s done to my hair at the salon so it looks that great when I style it at home. And like most people, I’ve always found it nigh on impossible.
What I realised the the other day though, was that maybe I wasn’t starting from a good foundation?
I was in the market for a new shampoo anyway when I visited the hairdressers the week before last (my scalp had been going haywire, and my hair itself was like straw), and so I decided on a whim to buy a bottle of the lovely organic, sulphate free lemongrass shampoo that was used on me that day.
In short, it’s been a miracle product. It’s slightly more expensive than the usual shampoo I buy (£14 for a not all that big bottle), BUT it gives my roots bounce, keeps my scalp calm, and gives my hair more shine than I’ve ever known it have before.
Definitely a new holy grail product for me!
Marks and Spencer’s Vine Tomato diffuser
Being pregnant has brought with it many an odd symptom, and a hyper sensitive nose is one of them. Which, I’ll be honest, has led to nothing short of a full blown obsession about making sure our house smells delicious at all times, because even the faintest hint of a cooking smell or Eau de Soggy Dog is absolutely horrendous to my sensitive nostrils!
Enter, diffusers. They’re not something I ever really used up until the past month or so (I’d always been sceptical about how well they *really* worked…), but I wanted to find a way to fragrance our house continuously without one of those plug-in air fresheners things.
This Vine Tomato diffuser is my current favourite, and opening the living room door to it each morning is so lovely. It’s fresh, summery, and not too overpowering, and is keeping my nose very happy indeed! A winner all round!
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And that’s a wrap on my current favourites! I’d love to know what’s been top of your favourites list so far this spring? Let’s have a share-up in the comments!