tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14903066160045827122024-03-14T04:25:21.780+00:00Becoming IrisLife is messy, painful and beautiful. This is mine.BecomingIrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07424223163972461024noreply@blogger.comBlogger111125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1490306616004582712.post-50267986196768193282020-03-29T14:53:00.000+00:002020-03-29T14:53:40.524+00:00Crowded House in Covid-19This blog is mostly dormant, but since I have the time (ha! ha!), I though I would pop in and document a bit og covi action.<br />
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My mother emmigrated to the UK days before lock-down. My mother in law emmigrated to the UK in December last year.<br />
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A month ago, we got a beagle puppy. Imogen is 23 months old. she is not talking yet and has only just started walking, sort of.<br />
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Liora is now four, almost five and is in Reception at school. she is learning to read and write and work with numbers. She has a lot of energy. A lot.<br />
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So now, we have four adults, two litle kids and a dog in our house.<br />
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My mother started showing syymptoms of a cold a few days ago and so we called 111. They said that we were all now in quaranteen. House bound for the next 14 days.<br />
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We cannot go anywhere. Not for shopping or for meds or anything.<br />
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So far, we are all still alive. And miraculously sane.<br />
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We watch and read about all the Covid news world-wide and wonder what the world will look like after this disease has ravaged our world.<br />
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This is an unprecedented situation and I wonder if it will change aytthing about the way people are towards one another and the planet we share. I highly doubt that this virus will change anything in the hard hearts of the shrewd business elite who value profits above all else.<br />
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I doubt anything could ever get throught o the likes of Trumps and his Oil Buddies. I wish we could live in a world where we could live and work and learn without having to worry about the cost of our education and healthcare (I live in Country where those things are free, butt pity the poor Americans who don't - the best country in the world, my eye!)<br />
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Money only matters because we give it meaning. If we all had enough, it would become redundant. But that is only fantasy, or StarTrek.<br />
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I wish everyone health and well being. enough food and toilet paper.<br />
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Stay home and don't cough on people.<br />
<br />BecomingIrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07424223163972461024noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1490306616004582712.post-78361057404275565672019-12-27T16:10:00.002+00:002019-12-27T16:10:59.730+00:00Pollution is not an IllusionFirst, let me say that this post has no research in it or sources or stats etc. It is my opinion. It also, in my view, happens to make perfect sense, so bear with me here.<br />
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Some people say that Climate Change is real. Some people say it isn't. Some people who say Climate Change is real say it is caused by human activity, some say it isn't.<br />
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My verdict is as follows:<br />
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It does not matter. The argument about cause is just a game of semantics. Believers of Climate Change are trying to be logical and scientific in an effort to affect change. They are getting desperate. They cannot understand why others are unwilling to accept the facts and forecasts.<br />
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Deniers, at whatever level are using political arguments and whatever method of obfuscation they can think of to avoid having to change the status quo and endanger their lucrative personal interests. They are being obtuse at a level never before seen in human history.<br />
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When the room is messy, and the child goes, I did not make the mess so I'm not cleaning it up. You cannot prove that I am responsible for the mess or that the mess is real. Does the mother say, OK, let's leave it then, I'm sure it will sort itself out. You keep playing over there.<br />
No. We clean up.<br />
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What I am saying is, it does not actually matter who made the mess and what you call the mess, or how you feel about the mess.<br />
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POLLUTION IS NOT AN ILLUSION.<br />
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The oceans are riddled with plastic. Animals eat it or get tangled and trapped in it. They die from it.<br />
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The air is dirty and, in some places, unbreathable. You can literally see the air hovering over big cities. you are not supposed to be able to see the air. It is disgusting and stinky.<br />
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Water is contaminated in some places, as is the ground. Not everyone cares about the water. Some factories just drain whatever toxic chemical they have used to process their products into the nearest convenient body of water.<br />
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There are lovely and beautiful places. there are gross places. But they all have one thing in common. They are on the same planet, so, inevitably, they will have an impact on each other.<br />
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Also, and I cannot stress this strongly enough - Animals of all kinds have equal rights to the planet as humans. They are entitled to live. In fact, I believe that wild animals have more right to the world than a of us.<br />
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So deforestation is a devastating mistake. Fishing places to emptiness, equally so.<br />
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It is all fine and well for individuals to do all they can to mitigate their own impact, but it will not make any difference if the supermarkets keep selling you vegetables in non-recyclable plastic for no reason.<br />
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I do not understand the refusal of some companies and countries to reduce their impact, even as a just in case measure. The up-side is a cleaner world. It should be a no-brainer.<br />
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Yay, we banned straws. What an achievement. Fast food places are now using paper, non-recyclable ones. Good job Government.<br />
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There is no reason that people should not be more environmentally aware and considerate. There are no downsides to taking action against Climate Change, whether you believe in it or not.<br />
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Every company should be compelled to do an Annual Impact Audit and receive an Environmental Impact Score (EIS). There should be a financial incentive for reducing the EIS and a Tax penalty for going over the company's allowance or quota.<br />
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How fast do you think every high-rise building will put up solar panels and use electric cars as standard. How many companies will only do business with companies who meet the impact rating. Just look at Affirmative Action implementation in South Africa.<br />
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Try it and see how creative people can be. And how pervasive it will become.<br />
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Okay. I'm done. Think about it. That's all I'm saying. Maybe do something.<br />
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Happy New Year etc.<br />
ByeBecomingIrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07424223163972461024noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1490306616004582712.post-62458733558580896572019-06-03T21:31:00.001+00:002019-06-03T21:31:11.515+00:00An Opinion On Skincare Reviews by Makeup Artists On YouTube<div style="text-align: justify;">
So today I watched a YouTube skincare review video by Jefree Star. </div>
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Now, Jefree is a controversial and entertaining YouTube star and cosmetics entrepreneur. He is also very talented when it comes to makeup.</div>
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As an aside, I also belong to a few Facebook groups that share their passion for makeup and have watched more than a few YouTube makeup channels. </div>
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All of these have one thing in common, two actually; the first is they know their makeup and are a good source of information and inspiration (also aspiration and temptation, but that's another post altogether) about makeup; the second is that, in general, they know less than fuck all about skincare. </div>
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No offence to these lovely people, but please stay in your lane. Every time I see skincare advice by makeup people on either Facebook or YouTube I just cringe and my fingers twitch, wanting to comment, despite the obvious futility of it (I generally end up keeping my opinions to myself).</div>
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I was glad to see that one of my mentors (in my mind), Caroline Hirons, reviewed the same newly launched skincare products, so I did get a real, rather more accurate view on the products (which I would ever buy, by the way, not that it's relevant).</div>
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Now, I am not saying that makeup channels should not review skincare at all. What I am saying is they may want to try to learn some of the fundamentals and know a few things or at the very least, make it clear to their viewers that skincare is not their thing (although, it should be pretty obvious). They don't need to be experts but seriously, Jefree, why are you using wipes as makeup removers? Your poor face! </div>
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Having said that, Shane Dawson, who was in the video with Jefree, did make the disclaimer that he was reviewing as a consumer, therefore, inferring that he was not an authority on the subject, but was trying products and giving his feedback on how they felt, which is perfectly sound. </div>
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I suppose, as long as people don't take their skincare advice from makeup artists, it's all good. As Sam and Nick from Pixiwoo are known to say, they are 'rubbish at skincare', although they aren't actually that bad. In fact many beauty gurus on UK YouTube have learned and taken advice from Caroline and improved their skincare and the advice they give. </div>
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As for me, I am certainly not an authority, and I should not fret over the skins of strangers, but hearing people recommend scrubs to acneic skins makes me wince.</div>
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Also I have no room to talk because at the moment, I am a hypocrite and do not practice what I preach because my routine is non-existent and my skincare is sitting on the shelf above my head slowly turning in its tubes. For shame!</div>
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As a final word, I would like to say that I have learned to love Jefree Starr and his flamboyant style. It makes me smile.</div>
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That is all. </div>
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Good night.</div>
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<br />BecomingIrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07424223163972461024noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1490306616004582712.post-40723228465644849402019-04-20T21:27:00.001+00:002019-04-20T21:27:38.963+00:00Home for the Holidays<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: justify;">
This Easter break has been a challenge. Day 1 mainly involved my kids getting colds and delightfully contagious eye infections resulting in quarantine induced boredom and borderline insanity (for me at least). I guess I have become accustomed to the quiet calm of Liora's school time.</div>
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I can't complain though. She is incredible. And it's not her fault. I could have entertained her better but I just have no energy at the moment. And I am now ill too (so is Mr. C). I'm achy and grumpy and my left ear is totally blocked. Charming.</div>
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This past week has been particularly hard because of Angelica's birthday and the painful anniversary which followed. She would have been 5. Oh, how my girls would have frolicked together.</div>
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We bought her a little fairy statue as we do every year. It should arrive soon.</div>
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Mr C. Worked from home, which helped a lot. </div>
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I cannot begin to explain how difficult it is to wrap your mind around it all. I can't even type the words. </div>
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Happy birthday my sweetheart.</div>
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On Angelica's birthday, we got our acceptance letter for Liora's school place. I was so relieved that we got into our first choice. Now at least I that one particular stress of not knowing can be forgotten, replaced by planning for her next adventure.</div>
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On the self care side of things, I have felt mostly better after some meaningful breakthroughs in therapy (it was really quite transformative).</div>
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They haven't been translated into healthier lifestyle choices and a more organised life by any means, but is is a step in the right direction.</div>
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I may have mentioned that I bought retinol when we moved. Well, until tonight, I never had the guts to use it. I have started using it already. It is very gentle. I did and it was fine. I don't know what I was expecting to happen, but its all good. I also managed to buy a little friend for my retinol; Garden of Wisdom Vitamin C cream. I have used it and it is very nice. </div>
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I will report back in due course. </div>
BecomingIrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07424223163972461024noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1490306616004582712.post-1823808491752944952019-04-05T21:58:00.000+00:002019-04-05T21:58:35.364+00:00Catch Up Time<div style="text-align: justify;">
With moving and settling in, I put the blog to sleep for a bit, but fear not, I am still here.</div>
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Liora had her 3 year old vaccinations this week and was very brave about the whole thing. I also met with her teachers who gave very positive feedback on her development. I was rather anxious about it and her fitting in to a new school, but all my fears were allayed.</div>
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Imogen had her 12 month review and did equally well. She is turning ONE in three weeks. It is unfathomable. We are not doing a big party; just some family time, because she literally won't care. She is 1 and is super attached to mommy and daddy right now, so we figure, just enjoy being together and seeing her eat cake for the first time.</div>
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I am struggling with my eating and my mood, although the last few weeks have been better. My low moods seem to ebb and flow like a tide and at the moment, my brain is on reasonably good behaviour. There are low moments, but I manage them. I have recently undergone some very helpful therapy, so my self-esteem issues are under control too. I won't say I am cured of the self-loathing... let's say I'm in remission. Yeah. I like that. It is as accurate a description as I can give.</div>
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The food thing, though... man! I don't know. That's a monster I can't seem to beat. Maybe when my mother in law comes, she will be able to help me get on the right path.</div>
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I'll figure it out. For the moment. I am just enjoying the feeling of not hating myself all the time. It's weird, I can't say I like myself yet, but I'll get there.</div>
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Rome was not built in a day.</div>
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Yesterday, I managed to wash my hair and that is the biggest win of all.</div>
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Good night.</div>
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BecomingIrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07424223163972461024noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1490306616004582712.post-75355110966556875562019-03-20T20:13:00.003+00:002019-03-20T20:13:28.515+00:00New House Chaos is Okay by Me<div style="text-align: justify;">
We have been in the house for month now and we are enjoying it quite a lot. For starters, it is much warmer than the old house and the configuration of the space works much better for us as well.</div>
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When it comes to settling in, the struggle is real.</div>
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Every room is kind of there, but not quite. There are still so many clothes to sort through, which I honestly don't always have the energy for. The play room / study is a mess which I am making progress with, but it is far from perfect. The kitchen is pretty much there with just a few things we are not sure we are happy with so we may or may not move them around at some point. </div>
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I am not overly bothered by the whole thing, mainly because my kids are fine. I wish I could find a space for every item and have everything perfect, but I am not that woman. I doubt I will ever have an Instagram or Pinterest house. </div>
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We put so much pressure on ourselves to be that; to show everyone that we are together and on the ball. Growing up, it was keeping up with the Jones's and now-a-days it's keeping up with the impossible standards created by the curated content of social media. Life is not curated, and should not be. It should be lived and enjoyed. </div>
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I struggle with the emotional roller coaster created by my brain so everyday life is not always easy for me but loving my daughters and feeling eternally lucky to have them is the easiest, most healing thing and it makes even the most challenging moments better. They have taught me what happiness feels like so I know what to strive for. I go through ups and downs, but lately I have started to feel much better, and although I have always struggled with self-esteem and self-image, the self-loathing is currently at quite a low ebb. It feels amazing to not despise oneself. I think Mr C is also very happy about it cos it really upsets him when I am unkind to myself.</div>
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One of the things that has actually helped me, although I did find watching it quite triggering, was a series called My Mad Fat Diary. Another thing that has helped immeasurably is actually getting help in the form of counselling through the NHS. It has helped kick off the transformation in how I perceive myself by allowing me to realise that others don't see me as I do. It was quite the revelation. </div>
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Life is full of distorted perceptions and social media seems to be working at full tilt to perpetuate the distortion all in the name of driving consumer demand. Apparently it is not enough that we like nice things and enjoy shopping sometimes. We need to feel desperately inadequate without the accoutrements and thus feel compelled to buy the latest statement piece that in reality, says very little about you.</div>
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I am happy with my little life, even though today chaos reigns. There will always be a little bit of mess and a lot of crazy, and I think I am okay with that. </div>
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That is all.</div>
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BecomingIrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07424223163972461024noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1490306616004582712.post-17311782137177055712019-03-17T14:11:00.000+00:002019-03-17T14:11:01.667+00:00A New Breakfast Spot<div dir="ltr">
My family and I love going out for a bit of breakfast on a weekend, so naturally, there is nothing more delightful than taking a chance on a new cafe and discovering a gem.<br />
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That is what happened this morning. <br />
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Although we moved house within the same borough, we did move across town, so we have had the opportunity to explore some new breakfast spots more local to us.<br />
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This morning, we decided to check Google maps for a suggestion and it led us to Wendover Cafe.<br />
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Let me just say, we were impressed. this place ticked so many boxes. Spacious and clean, warm and attentive staff, good food variety and quality.<br />
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Our timing was excellent since after we ordered, an out-the-door queue seemed to just form. The servers are pretty efficient though, so it vanished as quickly as it appeared.</div>
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Our food came in good time and tasted quite nice. We had an English breakfast and although we enjoyed it, we will not be having it again for a while, not because of anything wrong with it, but because of all the delicious alternatives we are excited to try. Yum.<br />
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Like the continental breakfast for example, which, because the place is essentially Italian, is a platter of Italian antipasti - cold meats, cheeses and olives. Double yum.<br />
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Other fare, displayed enticingly in glass cabinets includes a variety of frittatas, pastries and omelettes. And that's apart from the pasta options. So many yums.<br />
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<a aria-label="Photo – Landscape – 17 Mar 2019, 12:01:41" class="p137Zd" href="https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipPG661O5tDkt9GeRGpns6yhfftiW65FSSKtTTVE" jsaction="click:eQuaEb;focus:AHmuwe; blur:O22p3e;" tabindex="0"><div class="RY3tic" data-latest-bg="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/fkiOBFS2OrtdTqDiplptrD5c8QQpumh3tqqJaFfDI9lt5VbJXvze_dH89i0SYOqPwnX1uvYXNhb1zUTUKelQ15DWqeqxLe_6FLhXswDplCI9WnkEHsU0VVQSzzdjmwxMd8VTlauS5aT2aGl7_kVm5utHVHdx4EyhhE6xx7WmHUC_-y743JXcBrq6S5bwu-IUbELNDcPn2eBGv670RyFn32s42Hr57pZcUYGOVl74MZihPpwRVwo5DYKK4wH-6NSD7vaLISDWVFvvnwoPcWpYAFn_RO6rRluth90sGgmhBCrf9QxKOrbki1uf2J5IU1dQWJT5qnbL9ZVbvLxB8fIFnY_TVYpWi0NkDKo3jHRjRIRM4tLc2st-JVFLpY4AIV-cZB1QpAfGzL29WuqmUryGPtV4ICvJnHO0yBkdYYiJRUzhR-xPm8MiXVHbNqf9gVJJFXaRYt-srTcKGf3S7wjBjkyt1fQk8EoancDN4WZ8509AAI8mmDQiEfJRxrrurc4HDm8Lv4ngxVZVzWgANRRgoco-FiP36bJe1Ti0uXKfFQxz1f8QiEe8UWwbZ8x8f-Q9PD4DgL8BGo018PykOnrX_cIqD0DcRZL1LsXf_Wql8q-y7mzFPxG6nC6yapd0IifN90LcKHzi2A19v8aaRBEIE7ifHzTOTbkn=w369-h207-no" style="background-image: url("https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/fkiOBFS2OrtdTqDiplptrD5c8QQpumh3tqqJaFfDI9lt5VbJXvze_dH89i0SYOqPwnX1uvYXNhb1zUTUKelQ15DWqeqxLe_6FLhXswDplCI9WnkEHsU0VVQSzzdjmwxMd8VTlauS5aT2aGl7_kVm5utHVHdx4EyhhE6xx7WmHUC_-y743JXcBrq6S5bwu-IUbELNDcPn2eBGv670RyFn32s42Hr57pZcUYGOVl74MZihPpwRVwo5DYKK4wH-6NSD7vaLISDWVFvvnwoPcWpYAFn_RO6rRluth90sGgmhBCrf9QxKOrbki1uf2J5IU1dQWJT5qnbL9ZVbvLxB8fIFnY_TVYpWi0NkDKo3jHRjRIRM4tLc2st-JVFLpY4AIV-cZB1QpAfGzL29WuqmUryGPtV4ICvJnHO0yBkdYYiJRUzhR-xPm8MiXVHbNqf9gVJJFXaRYt-srTcKGf3S7wjBjkyt1fQk8EoancDN4WZ8509AAI8mmDQiEfJRxrrurc4HDm8Lv4ngxVZVzWgANRRgoco-FiP36bJe1Ti0uXKfFQxz1f8QiEe8UWwbZ8x8f-Q9PD4DgL8BGo018PykOnrX_cIqD0DcRZL1LsXf_Wql8q-y7mzFPxG6nC6yapd0IifN90LcKHzi2A19v8aaRBEIE7ifHzTOTbkn=w369-h207-no"); opacity: 1;">
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My mouth is watering just thinking about it!</div>
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This place is a winner!!!</div>
BecomingIrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07424223163972461024noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1490306616004582712.post-54578187126222116382019-03-05T09:31:00.001+00:002019-03-05T09:31:50.444+00:00Life Update<br />
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February was not an easy month.<o:p></o:p></div>
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We moved house. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Just across town so we could be as close as possible to the
school we want Liora to go to. <o:p></o:p></div>
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With packing up all our stuff, the girls being quite ill
over half-term (and beyond), and the 10 month old going through some teething
(she did not want to be put down - Ever - which meant that I had to do
everything one handed), things did not go super smoothly.<o:p></o:p></div>
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But we are in. We made it. And I have managed to just unpack
the essentials - Kitchen, kids’ clothes, bathrooms, and now my computer.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Despite taking a slow road to unpacking, things are slowly
taking shape. The new house is still in chaos but the neighbourhood is lovely.
Liora is settling in to her new school, which is 187 metres from our house (a 2
minute walk to the gate - Love it!). We are in walking distance to a children's
centre for Imogen to go to baby groups. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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With one thing and another, the blog has taken a little bit
of a back seat to life again but I did not want to stay away too long, hence he
teeny tiny update. <o:p></o:p></div>
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PS. what's with all the Retinol focus on YouTube et al? <o:p></o:p></div>
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I have dipped a toe into that band wagon as well with a recent
and as yet unopened Retinol product from Indeed Labs. <o:p></o:p></div>
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We’ll talk about that later.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Bye for now. <o:p></o:p></div>
<br />BecomingIrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07424223163972461024noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1490306616004582712.post-40407954152683987162019-02-08T21:04:00.001+00:002019-02-08T21:07:25.532+00:00Happy Birthday to My Blog<div style="text-align: justify;">
This week, my blog turned 6.<br />
<br />
SIX!<br />
<br />
I just can't even compute that.<br />
<br />
Being me, I immediately set about reproaching myself for wasting so much time and letting my depression, lack of confidence and lack of focus etc get in the way of making this blog more successful. We all have our flaws and quirks and I have a powerful penchant for self-recrimination, but then I actually gave it an extra second's thought and realised what I have actually been through in the last 6 years and how miraculous it is that this blog still even exists. I also, with a dash of speed, stopped thinking about the last six years with any degree of depth, because frankly it’s all a bit too much to bear right now. I did, however, decide to give myself a break for a change and accept things as they are.<br />
<br />
I am desperately trying to keep the blog regular and post at least once in a week but my depression is very strong right now, so I am trying not to put any pressure on myself; also there is a lot going on.<br />
<br />
At the moment, I am attempting to parent two children, one of whom is three years old and likes to walk on the wild side. I think she is part little girl, part crazy-witchdoctor-pirate-banshee. The other one is nine months old and crawling everywhere and putting everything in her mouth. Today was Liora's last day at her preschool. Next week is half term (I've signed Liora up for swimming lessons) and then, at the end of next week, we are moving house. Again. I think this will be the 5th house move since I started the blog. (If I count every place we have lived since leaving South Africa, it's eye watering - this will be he 15th place we live in. I feel a bit sick now.).<br />
<br />
Liora will be starting at a new preschool and then it's all about preparation for primary school (an hoping we get into the school we want) because she turns four in August so it's Primary school in September for my little girl. I cannot believe how time has flown by.<br />
<br />
I suppose a little bit of light retrospection is not necessarily a bad thing, even the painful parts. You realise how much you have survived and grown. I feel like I have aged a thousand years and shed a million billion tears. Of heartbreak and sorrow, and immeasurable joy. I have lived and loved and lost and survived it all with the help of my husband and my little team Awesome Gorgeous. <br />
<br />
As an aside, you also realise how much weight you have put on, how much makeup you have bought and how many clothes and shoes you have not bought.<br />
<br />
I am amazed that through it all, my blog has remained and has become a part of my life. I was never very good at diary keeping, which explains the huge gaps in this blog, even though this has always been so much more than just an online diary minus the secrecy (there are also more real and difficult reasons for the gaps). I have learned so much about skincare and makeup in the last six years thanks to the blog and I am glad to report that in all this time my skin has not fared too badly.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rNin3VZ1tmw/UU3HKkPmLqI/AAAAAAAAEqo/O2Ic7Qnds_sJtILQyS4qIkPVqfaIhD5iQCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/Iris%2B2303.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="386" data-original-width="404" height="305" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rNin3VZ1tmw/UU3HKkPmLqI/AAAAAAAAEqo/O2Ic7Qnds_sJtILQyS4qIkPVqfaIhD5iQCPcBGAYYCw/s320/Iris%2B2303.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At the beginning</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-i7PqnaAyKco/XF3YXg2v4jI/AAAAAAAAQFs/yFHHzDZPzJsvxgFf4loI8GHOzGlbwC0YQCLcBGAs/s1600/20190208_192613.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1348" data-original-width="1323" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-i7PqnaAyKco/XF3YXg2v4jI/AAAAAAAAQFs/yFHHzDZPzJsvxgFf4loI8GHOzGlbwC0YQCLcBGAs/s320/20190208_192613.jpg" width="314" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Today. At 41 no makeup</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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This blog has basically made me stop ageing, so there is that.<br />
<br />
I am mildly amused by the notion that I have tried and struggled so hard over the years to keep the blog focused on beauty, and now, in this moment of self reflection, when I am finally taking it really seriously, I want to evolve it just a little bit.<br />
<br />
My next mission is to tackle all things that make you whole. Wait. No. that's not right. I simply want to explore all the bloggy bits that fall under the <i>Lifestyle </i>category and see what happens. I have a yearning to evolve out of the two shoes, jeans and black t-shirt uniform in which I live; not in an extravagant way, but I want to, well, dress like a grown up for a start.<br />
<br />
Also, my mother-in-law is moving in with us soon, and she knows Things. So expect to see a whole series on <i>How to Adult. </i>It is, after all, all part of Becoming.<br />
<br />
Happy Birthday Little Blog.<br />
Thanks for my skin.<br />
<br />
I love you!<br />
<br /></div>
BecomingIrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07424223163972461024noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1490306616004582712.post-84698845475271301342019-02-02T14:16:00.001+00:002019-02-04T09:10:27.619+00:00Procoal Marine Moisture Mask - My First Sheet Mask Reviewed<div style="text-align: justify;">
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<br />
It looks bad. I know.<br />
<br />
I have no idea what this brand was thinking. I mean, there is literally no reason that this sheet mask needs to be black, and to be honest, the first time I tried it, I was so thoroughly freaked out by it, that I could not enjoy it at all.<br />
<br />
Despite that, I did approach the brand and request the sample to review and they were kind enough to agree, to my utter amazement and absolute joy, so I thought it would only be right and fair to give it a second pass.<br />
<br />
My background is in journalism so I have this idealistic view that all reviews must be objective, balanced and ruthlessly honest. This was also the first time I was sent something as a blogger, so I was committed to doing a good job.<br />
<br />
The brand, <a href="https://procoal.co.uk/pages/about-us" target="_blank">Procoal London</a>, is a UK based company founded in 2016. It is well known for its charcoal based tooth whitening products and is consistently bringing out new products to expand its range. One of its more recent launches is a marine serum face mask.
<a href="https://procoal.co.uk/products/moisturising-sheet-mask" target="_blank">The sheet mask</a>, which contains some interesting marine and botanical ingredients, is paraben, mineral oil and cruelty free. It does not, however, contain any actual charcoal ingredients, which is a bit odd considering "charcoal" is literally in the name.<br />
<br />
The price, compared to similar products, is quite good for four sheet masks, at £13.99. The company also sent me a <a href="https://go.referralcandy.com/share/3XCQNXR" target="_blank">20% off discount code</a>* that expires 12 March, 2019 (<i>T&Cs apply</i>).<br />
<br />
I want to point out that I am new to sheet masks, so I am not comparing them to anything I have used before. There were no expectations. With that said, let's break it down.<br />
<br />
<i>Caveat - My skin is normal (sometimes tends to be dry, but not right now). it is not dehydrated either. </i><br />
<br />
<b>Packaging (<i>4 out of 5</i>) </b><br />
The packaging is sleek. It' pretty, it's functional; I like it.<br />
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<b>First Impressions (<i>3 out of 5)</i></b><br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-feiDRBqIfhY/XFWskHgG11I/AAAAAAAAQB8/LkQfUBZ1B3AGHkzHPg_OCIo4Hbe1wbuAQCLcBGAs/s1600/Marine_Moisture_Mask_front_2048x2048.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1322" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-feiDRBqIfhY/XFWskHgG11I/AAAAAAAAQB8/LkQfUBZ1B3AGHkzHPg_OCIo4Hbe1wbuAQCLcBGAs/s320/Marine_Moisture_Mask_front_2048x2048.png" width="264" /></a></div>
On a cleansed face and following the instructions closely, I placed the sheet mask on my face. The first thing I noticed is the colour of the mask. It's black. I am not. So it's not the most Instagram friendly look. If you know what I mean. Once you move past the look of the thing, it's actually quite nice.<br />
<br />
<b>Feel (<i>4 out of 5)</i> </b><br />
The mask feels very nice on the skin. It is soft and moulds easily to the face. I think it is made of paper but feels more like wet felt so it's got a bit of a velvety vibe going. It does not stick very well around the mouth and dried above the top lip rather quickly. I think it was all the breathing, so expect it is not unique to this mask. It is quite cooling which felt very nice, despite the snowy weather. I am sure that it would feel very nice on a congested or inflamed face. Mine is not, so I can only infer.<br />
<br />
<b>Scent (<i>3 out of 5)</i></b><br />
So this is a bit weird. The first time I used it, the mask smelled of lemon. It was subtle but I did not like it. The subsequent ones did not. I really gave it a good smell test and nothing, so whatever fragrance is in there is so subtle, it will probably not bother those who prefer fragrance free skincare.<br />
<br />
<b>Results (<i>4 out of 5)</i></b><br />
My skin felt cooled but a bit tight and tacky at first. After the serum dried down, my skin did feel soft and smooth but it did not blow my mind, to be honest.<br />
<br />
<b>Ingredients (<i>4 out of 5)</i></b><br />
The sheet mask contains 25ml of serum made up of:<br />
Aqua, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Lecithin, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Alteromonas Ferment Extract, Panthenol, Hydroxyacetophenone, 1,2-Hexanediol, Sodium Polyacrylate, Phenoxyethanol, Xanthan Gum, Peg-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Hydrolyzed Rice Bran Extract, Fragrance, Citric Acid, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate.<br />
<br />
Nothing bad in there. No charcoal of any kind though, which is weird considering the name of the thing. A few interesting ingredients.<br />
<br />
<b>Website</b> (<b><i>4 out of 5)</i></b><br />
Clear. Transparent. Easy to navigate. All ingredients clearly displayed. For me, one of the most important and telling elements on a website is the contact page - can you call the brand directly or do they have to fill in that annoying form so they can avoid their customers? This site has both, so you can choose how to engage with the brand. I like that a lot. But there are typos, and typos break my pedantic little heart.<br />
<br />
<b>Final Thoughts (</b><b><i>3.5 out of 5)</i></b><br />
I enjoyed this mask. I will test it again when my face is feeling more yuck, to see if it has more of an effect. But for now, my face was already in pretty good shape considering the weather and the stress of moving house, so the mask was not earth shattering, but overall it was OK. **<br />
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Is it worth it? Yea. I reckon it's worth a go. To buy this mask, or to see the range, visit the <a href="https://procoal.co.uk/" target="_blank">Procoal London Website</a>.<br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>*Affiliate link</i><br />
<i>** That's just my opinion. It is subject to change (or not), based on further testing, changes in skin condition etc. </i></div>
BecomingIrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07424223163972461024noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1490306616004582712.post-80382216716600806392019-01-22T17:33:00.001+00:002019-01-22T17:40:03.068+00:00January Sales 2019 Part Two - My First Haul of the Year<div style="text-align: justify;">
Pick it up. Put it down. Pick it up. Put it down.<br />
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We've all been there; that agonising debate when we are at a sale and we are trying not to get carried away and blow the budget right out of the window. You wander is it really a good deal, is it really cheaper, and most importantly, do I really need it (right now!).<br />
<br />
Well, to be honest, the answer to the last question is generally a loud, resounding NO, whispered into my ear by the metaphorical angel on my one shoulder, masked by the din of a little devil cavorting on the other, convincing me of how much better my immediate future would be with said random item.<br />
<br />
In my previous post, I talked about shopping with my girls and what I bought Liora. For myself, I did far more putting down than picking up, only partly, I must confess, due to my prudence and self control. No I have not sworn off consumerism, We are simply moving house soon so it seemed kind of pointless to buy stuff only to have to pack it in box almost immediately. A deal is only a deal if it’s something you need or want without it.<br />
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OK. Enough with the drama. Let's get to the good stuff.<br />
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From Boots, I got this gift box of Soap and Glory Products for a tenner. I was pretty happy about this because I almost never indulge in body stuff. I have always wanted to try the shower gel because it smells awesome, but I use Original Source shower gel which is much much much much cheaper (and when my stock is finished, I will be moving to a bar of soap because I can reduce my plastic too). Bottom line, the price of the whole box was only marginally more than a whole bottle of the shower gel by itself, so hand cream, shower gel, body butter, body scrub and a pair of bath bombs, Yeah! That'll do.<br />
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From Superdrug I bought this little duo. There was a promo where some products were two for £22. At the time, I thought it was a good deal because the Dragons Blood Hyaluronic Shot was more than that on its own. I later discovered that on the brand's own website, the products were on sale for less, so meh for me.<br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kVfh-2CNtrk/XEY_x1r-OII/AAAAAAAAP5M/RhAzUB0Ow4os-L1l0J9Mp3ybOW5YtDryACPcBGAYYCw/s1600/IMG_1958.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1428" data-original-width="1600" height="284" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kVfh-2CNtrk/XEY_x1r-OII/AAAAAAAAP5M/RhAzUB0Ow4os-L1l0J9Mp3ybOW5YtDryACPcBGAYYCw/s320/IMG_1958.JPG" width="320" /></a>I also picked up a couple of sets of Superdrug makeup brushes, I don't know why. I actually only wanted a fan brush, which I probably could have gotten from elsewhere, wait. This is not a buyer's remorse post! Let's try that again, shall we.<br />
<br />
I made a cheeky little purchase of some brushes I didn't quite need, but I am sure I will have fun trying them out and getting back to you about how they rate. There. Better.<br />
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I also took a picture. I know my pictures are not great. I like to prattle and write, photography is not my forte. I am working on it though, promise.<br />
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I then popped into one of these no name brand beauty shops on my high street and had a little looky loo. Nothing grabbed my attention, except on of those microfibre makeup removing cloths where you just need water. It was about £2 so I had to try it, its my duty to you to try these random things.<br />
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Liora wasn't cranky yet, so I had a bit of time left. Imogen is never cranky when she is in her pram; she just watches the world quietly and plots her takeover. I made one more stop, just for fun.<br />
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I went Primark and bought things.<br />
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Since I bought the random cleansing cloth from the random shop, I obviously had to buy the mitts to compare.<br />
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And then I spotted this collection of novel makeup tools that I thought would be fun to play with, and who can say no to a bit of whimsy? Also Glitter. I am not a huge glitter fan per se, but I thought I would scootch out of my comfort zone and at least give myself a chance to try some. Also, they may be fun to use in blog photos, if I'm brave enough. I was tempted to let Liora have them, but I don't think I will ever be that brave.<br />
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Just to recap - there is a two pack of silicone makeup sponges (weird), eye shadow guards, eyeliner, eyebrow and even contour stencils.<br />
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I may, or may not use these in a YouTube video, we will see.<br />
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So that was my little shopping day with my girls. what do you think of my purchases?<br />
Which ones do you want to know about?<br />
Let me know in the comments!<br />
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<u>Honorable Mention</u><br />
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<i>Items not bought on the day, but in the same time frame</i><br />
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An honourable mention goes to <a href="https://www.nipandfab.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Nip and Fab</a>. The website was running an amazing sale last week with a ton of products reduced to £5. I bought the Glycolic Fix Body Cream and the Dragon's Blood Fix Plumping Serum. Nip and Fab threw in a set of five Glycolic Fix Daily Cleansing pads deluxe for free. Thank you!<br />
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The body cream is supposedly a 'dupe' for <a href="https://www.ameliorate.com/transforming-body-lotion-200ml/11865352.html?affil=thgppc&kwds=43700037212167914&thg_ppc_campaign=71700000041478598&adtype=&product_id=&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIsJmq7fGB4AIVDKWaCh1IEg-GEAAYASABEgJ_tvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds" target="_blank">Ameliorate Transforming Body Lotion</a> which is designed for Keratosis Pilaris, which I have and Liora has. The original is priced at £22.50 which seems a bit eye watering to me, so an alternative at £5 is really worth a try.<br />
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The pumping serum was bought so I could get free shipping. (I'm sure it's going to be great.)<br />
Don't judge me, we all do it.<br />
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What is the weirdest or most pointless thing you've ever bought to make up a free shipping threshold? (and did it cost more than the shipping cost?)<br />
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BecomingIrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07424223163972461024noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1490306616004582712.post-77287267432094688312019-01-19T13:53:00.003+00:002019-01-19T14:06:17.621+00:00January Sales 2019 Part One - Liora's First Haul Ever<div style="text-align: justify;">
January sales in the UK are legendary, with many people crossing The Channel to indulge in some great shopping deals from all sorts of retailers from high street to high end.<br />
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I am not immune to the siren song of 50% off so I did a little bit of recreational shopping of my own. It all started very innocently - to buy my three year old daughter some of her own makeup so she would leave my stuff alone. There were, however, a few little bits that I could not resist buying for myself.<br />
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I did not go mad. I controlled myself a lot. In fact, I did not buy myself any makeup at all. No, I lie; I bought one small thing, but we'll get to that in part two.<br />
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First, let’s talk about Liora's first ever (tiny) makeup haul. We went to Boots and it was madness but we kept our cool, especially Liora who was so incredibly well behaved and, I am quite pleased to say, more interested in the other children than the sparkly things on the shelves.<br />
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We picked up a set of three ombre eye brushes in a liquid glitter pouch by <a href="https://www.skinnydiplondon.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Skinny Dip</a>. It's basically all she needs - a flat shader brush, a fluffy domed crease brush and an angled blending brush. The brushes are nice and soft and she L.O.V.E.S them. They were the last ones, sorry. They were £7.50.<br />
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We also found another 'last on the shelf' item - the Unicorns Want to be Me makeup palette by <a href="https://www.missguided.co.uk/missguided-unicorns-want-to-be-me-eyeshadow-palette10128013" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Missguided</a>.<br />
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The shadows are quite pigmented, in my view, and quite soft, so we have a minor glitter everywhere problem, right now. Liora is having a great time using her lovely brushes to apply shimmery makeup all around her eyes, so she can look like Disco Raccoon. Needless to say, she does not have free reign and only gets them when I have the strength to deal.<br />
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Anyway, moving swiftly along, we have an additional palette that was bought based on price alone -<br />
£4.25 after a 50% discount for the Colours by technic 48 shadow palette. At that price, you can't really go wrong, well, you can, if you, like, have a massive allergic reaction or something, but failing that, no, less than a fiver for 48 shadows is a pretty good deal.<br />
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This palette is not for now. It is for when the other one gets finished or dropped or destroyed in some other manner. It has a nice variety of colours, which, to my mind are not very pigmented, but for a three year old, I am OK with that. </div>
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What makeup do your kids have? Do you even approve? Let me know in the comments!</div>
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On to part two!</div>
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BecomingIrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07424223163972461024noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1490306616004582712.post-36557786223451640142019-01-08T18:29:00.001+00:002019-01-08T18:29:05.676+00:00Goals for 2019 - Back to Basics<div style="text-align: justify;">
I feel inspired.
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I just joined a few new Facebook groups for makeup lovers and it took reading exactly one post to fire up my imagination.<br />
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Let's be honest, this blog has been going for five years, but has been flagging for an awfully long time. Without focus or inspiration, it floated around with nowhere to go.<br />
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Now, in 2019, I have recommitted myself to making this blog thrive and grow. I know that I have a voice that is rather different from most of those around and I am going to own it. I am not an expert. I am not a guru. I just have an interest and love for skincare and cosmetics, and I am pretty good at looking things up and making them make sense.<br />
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<b>So what's on the agenda for 2019?</b></div>
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To start with, I think it is valuable to know where I am, skin wise. I am slightly out of routine at the moment, and I can feel it. While, as a rule, I have reasonably problem-free skin, it is not in it's best, soft and smooth condition at the moment, which could isn't actually a bad thing for the blog, I suppose. It has a tendency to be normal to dry but gets dehydrated really easily. It is over 40 so it is starting to wrinkle a little but no too much, thankfully.<br />
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That being said, I will try to be as informative as possible regarding all sorts of skin types and conditions.<br />
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I have <u>very</u> long, dark brown curly hair. It has no artificial colour in it and I have very few greys.<br />
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The last time I cut my hair I donated it. That was in 2015.<br />
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I bite my nails and have desperately horrible cuticles. The problem gets better and worse, but never quite goes away. The only way I can control it is by painting my nails.<br />
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I have two daughters. My three-year old is already obsessed by eye shadow and nail polish.<br />
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<b style="text-align: justify;">Where do we go from here?</b><br />
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It is hard to achieve things if you don't have goals. So let's make a few in the belief that we will achieve at least some of them.<br />
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<b>Social Media Reviews</b><br />
I love YouTube. For better or worse, I can lose hours watching video after video. So I do plan to have a regular post on who I'm watching and loving... and who is no longer relevant to me. I would love for you to share your favourites with me. Are you an Instafiend? Tell me whose Instagram you follow, or any other platform for that matter!<br />
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<b>Skincare Basics</b><br />
I am not a skincare expert, but I have learned a few things and I have many resources I can use to give you as much information as I can.<br />
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I would like to do some posts on skincare routines:<br />
Where to start for the older newbie and for the younger ones too<br />
What are the important elements you need to include in your routine<br />
Where to go next and how to introduce new elements and steps<br />
And some products to try, obviously<br />
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<b>Makeup Tricks and Techniques you Need to Know</b><br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VrMbJuPrWWM/XDTp3jvbVwI/AAAAAAAAPug/07FVEC-rA54HbUNwsCYTdcpLHbSQO9HUwCEwYBhgL/s1600/element5-digital-611467-unsplash.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="1420" data-original-width="1600" height="284" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VrMbJuPrWWM/XDTp3jvbVwI/AAAAAAAAPug/07FVEC-rA54HbUNwsCYTdcpLHbSQO9HUwCEwYBhgL/s320/element5-digital-611467-unsplash.jpg" title="Photo by Element5 Digital on Unsplash" width="320" /></a>I hope to make this a regular feature. I don't have any yet, but I will collect them like little gems and let them loose on my readers in batches, properly attributed, of course. </div>
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<b>Products </b></div>
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Whether it's shopping my stash, looking at ingredients, news on new products or just plain product reviews, no beauty blog is complete without this lovely bit, so expect some. </div>
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<b>Off-Topic</b></div>
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I think I will keep this around and see how we go. I have an invisible little soap-box I like to climb on from time to time and some life updates I like to share. I also think this space is a good place to explore things like fashion, weight loss, and other bits and pieces. I plan to do a hair cut and donation again this year so I will be exploring some hair treatments to get my hair into tip top shape before the big cut.</div>
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What do you think?</div>
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Let me know what you're excited about for 2019. Send me your burning questions and I will gladly do the work and get your answers. </div>
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BecomingIrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07424223163972461024noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1490306616004582712.post-7274911064561494982019-01-06T18:55:00.001+00:002019-01-08T15:31:28.435+00:00A Body Brush for Small Hands<div style="text-align: justify;">
The other day, I spent some online time with my new YouTube bestie,<a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCag0Yi1S2sTmuPcr8ED91yA" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Nadine Baggott</a>.
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Specifically, I was watching one of the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MAkWQEbpUik&t=24s&list=PLheYCOazM2JQbhau3_kOA-eQg2Kb6YuJR&index=6" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Beauty Hags videos</a> where they talk about beauty hacks.<br />
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I quite liked the idea of dry body brushing and thought I would give it a try. If you are unfamiliar with the concept, body brushing stimulates blood flow, removes dry skin, supports good lymphatic drainage and is actually quite good for people who are on the Autism spectrum, or who, like me, have other sensory conditions like Sensory Integration Disorder. As far as I understand, the method is quite simple; just brush towards your heart. </div>
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I baulked at the price of the recommended brush, so went in search of an Iris priced body brush online. I found a variety of options but finally settled on one that I thought would suite me.<br />
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I have small hands so I always have to be mindful of the size of these sorts of products. The product can be lovely but if I can't hold it, it's kind of pointless really.<br />
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The H&S branded two pack of body brushes I found on <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07DW7R9V8/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Amazon</a> for £5.99 was exactly what I needed.</div>
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They are round, made of bamboo and the perfect level of firmness for me, which is a little bit firmer than a baby's hair brush but less than a nail brush. Also they don't shed. I have not tried them wet but I've tried them for dry brushing on my arms and legs and Mr C brushed my back for me. It felt incredible. It really worked well to get rid of dry skin on my back, and being of a generally itchy disposition, it really hit the spot on that front too. I have keratosis pilaris on my arms and I saw immediate improvement after one use. My skin felt softer and less bumpy. </div>
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I am very impressed with the quality! </div>
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BecomingIrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07424223163972461024noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1490306616004582712.post-7981365050470380532019-01-06T18:17:00.002+00:002019-01-06T18:17:31.628+00:00Taking Stock<div style="text-align: justify;">
2018 was a year filled with upheaval, change and stress. As I look back, I marvel, as we all do, at how fast it has flown by. I am amazed at my girls, now two, rather than the one and only child who healed my heart.
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I look at how far Liora has come; learning to share her family, her toys and her mommy milky. I see her sister crawling around after her wanting to play with her. At eight months, Imogen is all love and smiles ans silky softness. Unlike Liora, Imogen did not inherit my keratosis pilaris.
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Liora started preschool just before her sister was born. She began with two days a week and progressed to three as soon as she turned three. She is now at school full time. To think that she will start reception (primary school) in September, is a step too far.
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Our home has been teetering on the verge of chaos all year and my anxiety and self recrimination have been at an all-time high. I have put on a lot of weight and feel Ugly. However, I do waiver between self-loathing, self-pity and a kind of soft sadness about it all with a desire to be kind to the little battered person within. My husband loves me, my kids adore me so I should really work harder at self-care and compassion.<br />
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Liora has developed a love of nail polish and makeup (eye shadow). She has also encouraged me to do my routine, after being shown what that was. It is both lovely and a little bit sad to be encouraged by one's three year old. I guess it doesn't matter where the push / inspiration comes from, as long as I do something.
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In order to maintain some level of sanity, I though it would be a good idea to get the child her own makeup brushes and eye shadow palette. I now have mixed feelings on the experiment. It is messy, but on the whole, rather harmless.
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After more than a year of inactivity on the skincare / makeup front, I feel like I have woken up from a long sleep and I have a lot of makeup and skincare I need to use. So, although I have missed a year of new releases and lovely temptations, I will be "shopping my stash" until further notice. There are one or two new things I may buy when they are released. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P75Fqq5Mwnk" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Nadine Baggott</a> mentioned one in her YouTube video, but other than that, I will be holding back as much as possible.<br />
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I am looking forward to 2019 with some understandable trepidation (we are moving house. Liora is starting school.) but with a great deal of excitement over what the future holds. Our girls are growing up and I am enjoying every step of the process.</div>
BecomingIrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07424223163972461024noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1490306616004582712.post-47157949241301958002019-01-06T17:26:00.004+00:002019-01-06T20:00:22.559+00:00A Post About Loss<div style="text-align: justify;">
For the last maybe 10 years, Mr C's father had <a href="https://www.alzheimers.org.uk/about-dementia/types-dementia/dementia-with-lewy-bodies" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Dementia with Lewy bodies</a>. </div>
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It is the most<a href="https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/dementia-with-lewy-bodies/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> heartbreaking illness</a>. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Norman and new-born Liora</td></tr>
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Norman Cheerin passed away on December 2, 2018. He was 75.<br />
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I wanted to write a little post to acknowledge his life and the loss his family is feeling.<br />
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To be perfectly honest, this was originally supposed to be part of my Taking Stock post which reviewed 2018. I wanted to mention his passing briefly so as to not cause more pain to those who knew him and might read it but it was impossible. </div>
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The more I wrote, the more I realised there was no way I could just mention it and move on, also, how do you transition from such sad news to anything else. So I decided it was best to have a dedicated post to him. </div>
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I only met Norman in 2002 but was instantly drawn to his wit and to his manner. His relationship with his son was amazing to me, who had a challenging one with my own dad.<br />
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He was a hilarious, kind and gentle man, adored by his wife of 50 years and loved and respected by his children. He loved woodwork, music and photography. He loved reading and knowledge and was just basically one of the good ones. He showed my Mr C how to be a husband and father, and did an incredible job. </div>
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It has been very tough on Mr C. He was very close to his father and despite watching the decline, he was not prepared for the outcome. He is suffering and I wish I could reach his heart and make it better, but at the same time, his pain is a testament to the man his father was.<br />
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Most people dread their in-laws. I do not. I love them. I am one of the lucky ones. I hope that I am able to do justice to Norman with this small mention and that his family will find the space and time to heal and remember with fondness this man they were so lucky to have grown with.</div>
BecomingIrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07424223163972461024noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1490306616004582712.post-5454056783873195552018-11-29T02:03:00.003+00:002018-11-29T02:03:51.665+00:00Seven Months and Thriving - An Update<div style="text-align: justify;">
My lovely little Imogen is now seven months old. Let that sink in a bit. Seven months. That went a bit fast for my liking, but when it comes to my girls, time always travels faster than it should.</div>
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Imogen, like her sister, started sitting independently soon after turning six months and now does it very well, except when her sister pushes her over; then she goes down like one of those round bottomed dolls and can't always decide whether to cry or not. </div>
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She loves to play with her crinkly toys, her play mat toys and her musical walker. Her plushy little fox is also a firm favourite (that one was love at first sight. I gave it to her, she stared at it for a bit and then brought it in close for a giant baby bear hug. Just too cute). She loves to smile and giggle and is oh so close to crawling it's quite remarkable. She's been rolling over both ways for ages and is quite the little babbler too so we like to pop her in her high chair to play safely while we do stuff (she has become a little too big to wear all the time). </div>
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Many of Imogen's toys are hand-me-downs from her sister so we are still trying to figure out this toy sharing business with Liora, who occasionally has these moments where she insists on playing with the toys she has outgrown or claiming them and not wanting to share. These do not last long because her need to play with Imogen is much stronger than her need to assert ownership over the toys. We have also assured her that not all her toys are for sharing and her stethoscope, special fluffy toys and troll toys are just some of the things that are not shared.</div>
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The big little grower sprouted her bottom front teeth this week, mere days after having introduced her to solids, mainly porridge and fruit pouches. She is a good eater and we are once again, taking it slow, although I find the daily breakfast with Imogen to be such a sweet moment, also an amusing one because she is always fighting me for the spoon so she can put it in her mouth herself. This is going to be one independent little firecracker. I can tell.</div>
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Last night she started doing raspberries which was adorable. It would have been more so if it hadn't been the middle of the night.</div>
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Liora, my beautiful, brilliant Liora is now three years and three months old and obsessed with playing her doctor game, and I don't mean obsessed in the casual way the word is being thrown around lately; I mean it's all she wants to play. That and cooking in her play kitchen. The doctor game basically entails one or many toys being diseased or maimed in one form or another and Doctor Liora treating them, while mummy, the additional doctor or helpful nurse must assist her. She also enlists the help of her little paper doctor toys for which I must provide the voices, or 'use my mouth so they can talk' as she so beautifully explains. (For some unknown reason, the first time I did this with one of the figurines, I used my father's 'voice' and the doll became Doctor Grandpa - I was a bit emotional but Liora loves doctor Grandpa a lot, so he stays.)</div>
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She has two stethoscopes which she wears practically all the time - a black one from her late grandfather and a pink one from Wish. At one point she was wearing her pink one everywhere but the bath: to sleep, to school, out and about. Along with that went a little plastic thermometer and whatever other random medical accessory she could muster. She has a transportation schema, so likes to carry things around, mostly spoons (which are therefore everywhere because she has figured out how to extricate them from both cutlery drawer and dish washer). Recently, we have had to place limits on the stethoscope, for a variety of reasons, so no more school or bed. And hopefully one day, I will get my spoons back.</div>
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Liora's verbal and social skills are progressing at a pace that fills me with wander and she is now also independent of nappies while awake. It is quite unbelievable that in just on nine months, she will be starting primary school. I am screaming on the inside about this enormous leap but that's a whole other post in itself.</div>
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I feel very fortunate to have two such incredibly special, happy little girls in my life and I hope to do them justice as they forge their way in this world. Every day I look forward to see what they will do next and how they will surprise me. Loving them is a rush and I am addicted!<br />
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<br />BecomingIrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07424223163972461024noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1490306616004582712.post-33185637446421746092018-11-26T22:47:00.004+00:002018-11-26T22:47:38.660+00:00Enough With Your Opinions Already<div style="text-align: justify;">
Today, I was watching a few random YouTube videos. This is something I do from time to time, a pastime I am sure I share with at least a billion other people.</div>
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I came across a talk show segment that was discussing breastfeeding, where a guest was trying to defend still <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eYSAtn5Y5tE" target="_blank">feeding her nine year old daughter</a>, while another was sitting there and apologising so kindly, while tearing the first guest apart, with the excuse that she was simply concerned for the well being of this child she had never met, and who, by all accounts, was a happy, independent, well adjusted kid. </div>
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This post is not about the merits of natural term weaning or whether nine is too old or whether it's strange, or even how it works, or anything of that nature. It is a post about opinions, and why so many people insist on having them and sharing them on issues that have nothing to do with them, whatsoever.</div>
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The whole time I was watching this segment, I was thinking what's it to you, lady?</div>
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Why is this an issue for you and what makes your input in any way valid at all?</div>
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The child would be teased or ostracised for being weird, she said. But would they be? What is weird to kids and who teaches them what is normal and what should be mocked, if not their guardians?</div>
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Adults are the ones who set the agenda for what social norms are and for who is worthy and who is shunned. Children simply observe, learn and repeat, until their minds develop to the extent that they in turn become the ones to define what is acceptable.</div>
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So is it really strange, or are you making it so simply by holding that opinion. It may not be the norm or the mainstream, but again, why do you feel you have to point your finger and go 'Witch Witch burn the Witch!' basically. </div>
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This woman who felt she had to stop breastfeeding her child the moment the baby was able to verbalise the need for her milk felt it was appropriate to judge someone else for doing things differently to her and allowing her child to stop at their own pace, and for being confident enough in her personhood to be vocal about allowing that. </div>
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She did not seem to me to be a woman who needed breastfeeding to maintain her bond with her child or to feel validated as a parent or even to fill an emotional need of her own, as natural term weaners are often accused of doing. 'They are forcing their children and infantilising them because they need to hold on to their babies,' people say, or 'they are just too lazy to find alternative ways of comforting or bonding with their children.' </div>
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I found her self control in the face of this bizarre 'I am a stranger, but I know what is best for you and your child' narrative incredible. I would have been rather more rude and my tandem breastfeeders are only three years old and seven months old. (to be fair, I do wish the tree year old would stop already.) </div>
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I cannot understand how this kind of breastfeeder shaming is acceptable at all, especially since bottle feeding mums are always banging on about being shamed for their choice to formula feed. </div>
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I though we were past the era of the evangelical zealot trying to validate their existence and opinions by making everybody else share their views, but here we stand, in a world where every issue is like a fence, with zealots on either side, shouting down the other, trying to break them down, usually online.</div>
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I respect the right of every person to hold their own views and opinions on whatever issues cross their field of perception, but hold your views, just hold them; don't try to impose them on everyone else. </div>
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No one is the arbiter of another's truth. No one is entitled to belittle another's choices in the guise of 'I know what is right better than you' but some people just can't seem to be able to help themselves. It is really OK if others do not see the world or experience it in the same way you do. the Earth will not explode. </div>
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The reality is that there will always be those who want to impose their world view on others, be they religious extremists, pro-lifers, anti-vaxxers, vegans, anti-smoking, anti gay marriage or Breast is Besters (they aren't immune to this either), you name the issue there is someone out there with a really strong Opinion on it that they insist everyone must share. </div>
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Not only must you modify your behaviour to suite them and their world view, they are quite happy to inculcate those views into law so that they can feel the moral high ground firmly under their feet, even when it is nothing more than sociopolitical astro-turf.</div>
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BecomingIrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07424223163972461024noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1490306616004582712.post-57003793575338326472018-11-05T23:21:00.001+00:002018-11-05T23:24:37.335+00:00Family Time with Team Awesome Gorgeous.My youngest daughter is now six months old. Six months old - it's hard to believe.<br />
She is sitting unassisted and very elegantly doing the splits before moving into a horizontal position. It's quite a sight to behold. I wish I had half the flexibility of my children.<br />
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She is also babbling. She spontaneously started doing it mid nappy change last week.<br />
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This weekend, she spent some time in the garage with Dad.<br />
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He is custom making a sound system for our car. For him, it's a therapeutic process that allows him to centre himself and cope with the stuff that life has thrown our way.<br />
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This isn't the first one he's built here. After Angelica passed away, we had to buy a car so we could go to the cemetery to bury her. not the nicest reason to buy a car, but it was a good little car and MrC decided that building a sound system in the car would help him with his grieving process.<br />
It was pretty impressive, but the day it was ready, we decided to go get some takeaways before he wired it up and tested it. Some idiot decided it would be a great idea to jump a give way sign and wrote of the car.<br />
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We were both traumatised by that. I just remember putting my hand to my belly to protect the baby that was no longer there and that reaction devastated me. I simply crumbled.<br />
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So he waited three years before trying again. this time, there is a lot more joy and many more interruptions from our team Awesome Gorgeous.<br />
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This month has also been a big one for Rainbow 1. She is now settled in her preshcool and in the reception preparedness class. She goes to primary school in September, five days after turning 4. She is lively and friendly and wears her grandfather's stethoscope everywhere and at all times, except in the bath, not that she didn't beg. Mommy said no.<br />
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She is also (sorry future Lolly) dry. It took a bit of patience and effort, but looking back it was mostly quick and painless. She amazes me all the time with her language skills and her ability to express herself.<br />
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Her love for her sister, Imogen's blatant adoration of her warm my heart so much; watching them together is a constant source of warm and fuzzies.<br />
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Despite my challenges with mental health, things are pretty good right now, and I have found my happy place, right next to my lovely girls.<br />
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BecomingIrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07424223163972461024noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1490306616004582712.post-29213515359466969482018-08-08T22:57:00.001+00:002018-08-08T22:57:48.709+00:00Binge Writing is a Thing<p dir="ltr">My last post got me thinking about the way I have always written - going for a long time without writing and the POP! Something clicks in my head and I feel compelled to write something or anything. </p>
<p dir="ltr">It's a bit like <u>binging</u>, I thought. Then I thought about the other things I binge at.<br>
I must confess, I am a bit of a binge eater, hence my roundish kind of shape, well, mostly hence. I also binge tidy, clean, organise and fold laundry, off the top of my head. (I also binge studied, which I do not recommend.)</p>
<p dir="ltr">So I googled it, as you do, a lo and <u>behold</u>, binge writing is a Thing.</p>
<p dir="ltr">A thing that other writers write about. Imagine my relief when I discovered that I was not unique in my approach to writing. Then I thought, of course you silly woman. There is nothing new under the sun.</p>
<p dir="ltr">There is no catch-all method to writing and if I had thought about it before, which I clearly did not, I would have realised the the x number of words per day method was not very Irissy and I should not have felt bad about not being able to do it, which I obviously did. </p>
<p dir="ltr">So now that I have stumbled upon this plain and obvious truth, I am going to embrace my bingey nature (writing-wise) and go with it, cos it's basically the only way I can roll and the only way I will ever get any real writing done. </p>
<p dir="ltr">It's either that or spend even more time feeling bad about not being consistent, which is just dumb.</p>
<p dir="ltr">So, come binge with me, it'll be fun. </p>
BecomingIrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07424223163972461024noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1490306616004582712.post-4032377518220705532018-08-08T22:00:00.001+00:002018-08-08T22:00:52.247+00:00I am a Writer. I Must Write<p dir="ltr">It's 10pm on a Wednesday night. I'm lying in bed with a baby in the cot next to me and a toddler snoring in the bed with me. Mr C. is still downstairs doing his thing. </p>
<p dir="ltr">I don't really know why I'm writing, especially since I'm doing it on my phone, which is not my favourite medium.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Having said that, lately I have felt the pull to write more and more. I used to love writing. I could spend hours on it and yet, in recent years, I have let my writing fall by the wayside, to the chagrin of my husband and my mother. </p>
<p dir="ltr">My excuse was that I felt uninspired or had no story ideas. I would say I had the skill to write but I not a talent for story telling so I was just kidding myself that I would ever get a book written, let alone published. In short, I gave up on myself.</p>
<p dir="ltr">But I just want to write now. Right now. <br>
Just random stuff. I keep wandering how to work all this out in my blog and whether I should just start  new one. I always feel like becomingiris is not the right place for experimental writing work, but I have to start somewhere. </p>
<p dir="ltr">I feel all lost and foggy in my little rut; even a little bit paralysed by my own over-thinking. </p>
<p dir="ltr">I remember getting a flash of an idea, back in the day, and sitting down to write. The weekend would disappear and the words would seem to write themselves. Once the first sentence was done, the rest would just flow. But that was a decade ago. </p>
<p dir="ltr">Wow. A decade. It's quite amazing how time can just slip away from you when you aren't paying attention. When you are going through stuff and you're counting moments, years can pass before you manage to look up and take a breath.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Maybe it's time I looked up, took a breath and stopped sleepwalking through my life. My kids will thank me for it, not to mention my husband.</p>
<p dir="ltr">I may start with some writing prompts. I like that idea. </p>
<p dir="ltr">Let's see what happens next.</p>
BecomingIrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07424223163972461024noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1490306616004582712.post-18782990324577483992018-08-05T22:10:00.000+00:002018-08-05T22:10:19.865+00:00She is Frickin' Cute and I Adore her<div style="text-align: justify;">
On the 27th of April, by Caesarean section, my sweet little Imogen Enye was born.<br />
She weighed 3.160kg and has filled our lives with even more love.<br />
<br />
Liora loves her sister, despite having had a bit of an adjustment and going through a bit of a tough time with being two going on three.<br />
<br />
As I said in my previous post, I struggled with pregnancy, but I am glad to say that our little addition, which has completed our family, is incredibly cute.<br />
<br />
At three months, she laughs and smiles and plays with her doll and her dragon fly and her "O" ball, shaking it so it will rattle. She is cute and cuddly and bright as a button (a really shiny one).<br />
<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxbOSTc22Su_GpAOAFtFBwiIu2y5yG9ZmUrYDoFnveLdE5aG8Xd_TiZImLFzW1o0Nnl0xAnlHOJpRAe4ki01w' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<br />
<br />
There are challenges and difficulties, not least of which being Imogen's ability to shred ear drums with her screams; a talent which she exercises often since she has a combination of reflux and colic.
<br />
<br />
The colic means that every night, like clockwork, at around eight pm or thereabouts, She screams like a B-grade horror actress.<br />
<br />
Infacol helps. Gaviscon helps. Having cut out all dairy helps.<br />
<br />
She has gone through degrees of suffering. She started screaming for hours on end, then I cut out dairy and started her on her regime of "meds".
She got somewhat better; much better, in fact. To the point that I thought she had adjusted enough to reintroduce some dairy from time to time.
Then she got sick and had to go on antibiotics for a week. I think that had an impact on her gut bacteria and colic levels. So now it's a nightly battle and challenge to find the quickest, most efficient way to soothe her poor little tummy so she doesn't suffer so terribly (and deafen us and our long-suffering, very understanding neighbours - who incidentally, have adopted our cat, Wednesday. She is boycotting us at the moment).<br />
<br />
We have also had a heatwave, a really long and uncomfortable heatwave that neither me nor my kids are particularly loving.<br />
<br />
Mr C hates it too. A lot.<br />
<br />
All in all, my girls, my Team Awesome Gorgeous give me more joy than I could ever have imagined (and more stress, anxiety, frustration, and sleeplessness).
The pangs of guilt when I look at my beauty collection or think of my blog have gradually lessened, but my desire to write is starting to resurface.
I am going to go on a bit of a tangent with this blog and just write about random stuff for a while and see how it feels.<br />
<br />
Read it.<br />
Don't read it.<br />
I don't mind.
</div>
BecomingIrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07424223163972461024noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1490306616004582712.post-67915123591528018802018-03-01T01:30:00.002+00:002018-03-01T01:30:39.875+00:00This Post is Not About BeautyIt is March 2018.<br />
<br />
I have not written in this blog for a very long time.<br />
<br />
I virtually abandoned it, or any pretext I had that I could sustain the blog in any kind of meaningful way.<br />
<br />
I look at my desk and the gazillions of beauty and skincare products I have not used with a kind of dispassionate indifference.<br />
<br />
My nails are brittle and varied in length. My skin is dry to the point of flaking. My beauty routine is a thing of the past.<br />
<br />
It has been almost seven months. I could have made the time. I could have summoned up the energy to take better care of myself. Maybe. But I doubt it.<br />
<br />
I am not entirely sure of the cause of this lapse. It could be the fact that my amazingly gorgeous daughter is now two years old and made up of energy. It could be my depression, which I seem incapable of managing particularly well. Or it could be the fact that the day before my daughter turned two, I found out that I was pregnant.<br />
<br />
I am now 31 weeks pregnant with another baby girl in a harrowing, and decidedly final pregnancy. Not just final because I am 40, but because (and little baby, if you ever read this, don't take it personally) this pregnancy has been worse than horrible.<br />
<br />
It started out with being constantly tired and having endless, unstoppable nausea and vomiting (hyperemesis gravidarum) for which I needed to be medicated. Then came my booking in appointment with the midwife (I was late for the first one as I made a mistake with the time - the second one, she was 2.5 hours late for). It was a disaster. it took ages and I cannot count the number of risk factors I seemed to have. I was told I needed to self-inject heparin daily and take aspirin too. I would be considered high risk because of my age, weight, and history with Angelica and would be treated as if I had gestational diabetes because I had it with Liora.<br />
<br />
According to my hospital, that meant being ignored to the point of threatening to complain to the NHS before any appointments were made for scans etc, being neglected by my designated midwife, who I have yet to meet, and my daughter, and therefore my husband being banned from entering the room where I have had my scans done. Literally less than minimum care. I may as well not have bothered to tell them I was pregnant at all. Thankfully this kid moves regularly because until she started to I was losing my mind.<br />
<br />
This is the opposite of the amazing care I got through Barnet hospital when I was pregnant with my two-year-old. When they say it is a post-code lottery, they are not joking.<br />
<br />
Now my symptoms include tiredness, low mood, anxiety, nausea (now only occasional), heartburn, round ligament pain, spd pain, back pain, basically 24 hour all over pain. (and I need to pee every 5 minutes)<br />
<br />
I am never doing this again. And this baby better be frickin' cute.<br />
<br />
She is due in May and I cannot wait to meet her and introduce her to her big sister. I am terrified that the pregnancy will go wrong. I am terrified that the girls will not get along (I was really badly bullied by my sister) and I am worried that I won't be have the same level of patience or devotion or won't be good enough for the second one. I want to be a good mother but I have self esteem issues so I always doubt myself.<br />
<br />
Deep down I know I will adore this little girl and dote on her as I did her sister, but my brain niggles, so here I sit, kicking baby within, pouring my guts out onto this blog for all to see.<br />
<br />
Wish me luck. I have 8-ish weeks to go and hope it will go fast, but somehow, I get the feeling it will be the longest 2 months of my life.<br />
<br />
Good night. I need to go get my Gaviscon.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />BecomingIrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07424223163972461024noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1490306616004582712.post-80986219399408326612017-09-10T11:34:00.000+00:002018-03-01T01:31:06.530+00:00I Can't Believe I Just Did That!!<div style="text-align: justify;">
Did I say moratorium on spending?
<br />
<br />
Yea. I lied. I would like to say I forgot, but it's the same kind of forgetting you get when you are actually on a diet but you eat a cookie. For breakfast.<br />
<br />
I didn't go crazy. Promise. I just spotted something that I could not (did not want to) resist. My buyers remorse level is very low. Maybe a 1.<br />
<br />
I was looking at the latest beauty boxes around, just to see, you know. I know if I said I would not be buying, I should not be looking so I would not be tempted. Anyway.<br />
<br />
I spotted the <a href="https://www.lookfantastic.com/offers/beauty-box.list" target="_blank">Look Fantastic "The Birthday Edit" box</a>. It said there were 7 products worth £72. I never actually believe the value bit, to be honest, but regardless, I was interested so I checked out some unboxings and reviews on YouTube and decided to spend the £15 on a once-off box.<br />
<br />
There were no surprises in the box (because I looked it up), but I am quite pleased with everything in it. I think it was genuinely worth the money I spent. I am really looking forward to trying every single product, which is a real rarity for me, as I usually find that I would never use more than half the things I get in these boxes.<br />
<br />
There was a good balance of makeup and skincare, with a pretty makeup brush added as an extra gift.<br />
<br />
<b>Here's the run down:</b><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-YVsaE1HTGmE/WbQhX3vUGWI/AAAAAAAAM4E/zSurmBLINZALlN2stAJ_VxdRgps3fKUdgCKgBGAs/s1600/IMG_1764.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1227" data-original-width="1600" height="306" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-YVsaE1HTGmE/WbQhX3vUGWI/AAAAAAAAM4E/zSurmBLINZALlN2stAJ_VxdRgps3fKUdgCKgBGAs/s400/IMG_1764.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eve Lom Cleanser & Muslin Cloth; Christophe Robin Cleansing Volumizing Paste; Hikari Tonya Eye Shadow Quad; Decléor Hydra Floral Anti-pollution Hydrating Gel-cream; Illamasqua Gel Sculpt in Silhouette; Look Fantastic Unicorn Eyeshadow Brush</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>First Impressions</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
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</div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cPcPpqYjcQ0/WbRAxoMvq0I/AAAAAAAAM5Y/wBayTHrPAG0BvGytY7kHW2_DUrbkYxsdgCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_1775.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1240" data-original-width="1600" height="248" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cPcPpqYjcQ0/WbRAxoMvq0I/AAAAAAAAM5Y/wBayTHrPAG0BvGytY7kHW2_DUrbkYxsdgCLcBGAs/s320/IMG_1775.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<a href="https://www.lookfantastic.com/eve-lom-cleanser-100ml/10365659.html?affil=thggpsad&switchcurrency=GBP&shippingcountry=GB&gclid=CjwKCAjwos7NBRAWEiwAypNCe3ka3-0NzpSeJk3BDwZJ6m7ltxIxsrm5a7JtYvY7q7h8rft-VkfuaxoCv9kQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds&dclid=CLjoxLDcmNYCFc6L7Qod3kYFnw" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Eve Lom Cleanser</a> smells of cloves. It is a popular balm cleanser, a so-called cult hero product, or whatever. That being said, the first ingredient is <a href="http://www.evelom.com/shop-products/cleanser-200ml-MEV0028_4600.html?lang=en_GB" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Paraffinum liquidum (mineral oil)</a>, I am not a fan of putting petrolium byproducts (mineral oils) on my face generally, but it is just a cleanser so it may not be so bad and may still be worth a try. The tub itself also has these ridiculous instructions to open and close your pores. *eye roll*. They are holes in your skin, <a href="http://health.howstuffworks.com/skin-care/cleansing/myths/pores-in-hotter-water.htm" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">they cannot open or close</a>. they don't have little muscles that can do that. The hot water on the cloth may help loosen excess dirt trapped in pores, and I suppose that cold water at the end could invigorate the skin and increase circulation? or just feel nice. Point is, it's nonsense. I'm still going to try it though.<br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0TbYWQ1N8nA/WbUgfLgLnQI/AAAAAAAAM9Y/8ZzSutzI5j0FAMCP2ZULK0FVFzWNZ5L4QCKgBGAs/s1600/IMG_1766.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1040" data-original-width="1600" height="208" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0TbYWQ1N8nA/WbUgfLgLnQI/AAAAAAAAM9Y/8ZzSutzI5j0FAMCP2ZULK0FVFzWNZ5L4QCKgBGAs/s320/IMG_1766.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
The Christophe Robin Cleansing Volumizing Paste is rose scented so it smells lovely. It claims to be of 85% natural origin but there are some interesting sounding chemicals in the formula. There are no parabens, colourants or any of the real nasties, though. It has a gritty texture, which is probably from the sugar (second ingredient). It is designed to give thickness and volume to fine hair, so I am not completely sure if I would get much use out of it, and shudder to think of what the outcome would be because, quite frankly, have you seen my hair?<br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DRaHCDKyNl8/WbRF_4LtPbI/AAAAAAAAM7c/yDE4DdfoKD869SNAatmmbBE2da-Bj8exwCKgBGAs/s1600/20170909_204614.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1411" data-original-width="1600" height="175" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DRaHCDKyNl8/WbRF_4LtPbI/AAAAAAAAM7c/yDE4DdfoKD869SNAatmmbBE2da-Bj8exwCKgBGAs/s200/20170909_204614.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
I am not familiar with the <a href="http://www.hikaricosmetics.com/shop/eye-shadow-copy/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Hikari Tonya Eye Shadow Quad</a> or the Hikari brand. I have swatched it and I am loving this quad. The texture is velvety, the colours are strongly pigmented and they seem to be really blendable, so I am very optimistic. There is a matte highlight, two shimmers and a dark matte shade. The coppery shade looks quite orange in the picture but it looks gorgeous on my skin. I can't wait to tiptoe out of my comfort zone and try it out!!!<br />
<br />
To be perfectly honest, the Illamasqua Gel Sculpt in Silhouette is the reason I bought the box in the fist place. The brand is exquisite and even as a mini, the quantity of product is a lot. It is a gorgeous creamy contour stick type of thing (What a way with words I have). It is not thick or sticky. It slides on the skin smoothly and the colour is very buildable so it seems quite versatile. My contouring/highlighting skills are limited so I am super excited to play around with this little gem. <br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UWqX3WZZC3A/WbUejylAc3I/AAAAAAAAM9A/29jse8NAnKMea5XTzFy0pXybX_XJAhamQCKgBGAs/s1600/IMG_1777.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1473" height="200" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UWqX3WZZC3A/WbUejylAc3I/AAAAAAAAM9A/29jse8NAnKMea5XTzFy0pXybX_XJAhamQCKgBGAs/s200/IMG_1777.JPG" width="183" /></a><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JyY53ts2JPw/WbUf3CP1IAI/AAAAAAAAM9Q/26SSQ4rSazQmdqArNPew8E6VeZbD9WO2gCKgBGAs/s1600/IMG_1778.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="895" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JyY53ts2JPw/WbUf3CP1IAI/AAAAAAAAM9Q/26SSQ4rSazQmdqArNPew8E6VeZbD9WO2gCKgBGAs/s200/IMG_1778.JPG" width="111" /></a></div>
<br />
Decléor is a beautiful, Essential Oil-based French brand which I cannot afford. So I am looking forward to using the Decléor Hydra Floral Anti-pollution Hydrating Gel-cream very, very sparingly. It has a nice, light texture and soaks in quite quickly. It is quite heavily scented though, so it may not be your thing. I will give it a whirl and decide how I feel about scented skincare, as at present, I don't really have a preference either way.<br />
<br />
What can I say about the "unicorn brush" it's pretty, it's a bit gimmicky, it's soft. It's a brush. I will use it.<br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9H7OenqPOTM/WbUdSsc-S0I/AAAAAAAAM8s/lhJUG8jPLOcSU0IHxnlyVSbKZ_ABcUoBgCKgBGAs/s1600/IMG_1779.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="107" data-original-width="1600" height="26" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9H7OenqPOTM/WbUdSsc-S0I/AAAAAAAAM8s/lhJUG8jPLOcSU0IHxnlyVSbKZ_ABcUoBgCKgBGAs/s400/IMG_1779.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<b>Final thoughts:</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
I would absolutely recommend the <a href="https://www.lookfantastic.com/offers/beauty-box.list" target="_blank">Look Fantastic "The Birthday Edit" box</a> and the Look Fantastic website. I would definitely fit this into the winner category! Well done Look Fantastic!<br />
<br />
Do you buy beauty boxes? Which ones do you like?<br />
<br />
Let's talk in the comments<br />
<br />
Bye.</div>
BecomingIrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07424223163972461024noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1490306616004582712.post-50609536055874901092017-08-24T22:02:00.002+00:002017-08-24T22:05:26.234+00:00I Am Afraid That My Addiction is Real<div style="text-align: justify;">
Mr C bought me a £25 gift card from <a href="http://www.one4allgiftcard.co.uk/">one4allgiftcard.co.uk</a> just because I have been feeling a bit meh.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
I have this inexplicable joint pain in my hands (makes typing sooo fun), feet and other random joints, and pain just wears you down so my sense of burnout has been right on the edge for a while now.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
He thought, quite rightly, that a little splurge on just me would make me feel better.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
I thought long and hard about how to spend my little windfall; where and how I could get the most bang for my buck, as it were. There were a few choices but after an unreasonable amount of time spent internally debating the matter, I chose Feelunique.com.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
It was my first time shopping through the site, which I found easy to navigate and actually quite fun to explore.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
I bought three things.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
A cleanser, another cleanser and, well, another cleanser. Do you see a theme here?</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
I know that my last purchase was REN and Emma Hardy, but I wanted to mix it up a bit and get to know some other brands.</div>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-L1W1cRI64zw/WZ84on6Wr7I/AAAAAAAAMyc/IC3Spy1InHI-IBxh61eE-npev42QzkpfQCKgBGAs/s1600/20170824_211609.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1102" data-original-width="1600" height="275" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-L1W1cRI64zw/WZ84on6Wr7I/AAAAAAAAMyc/IC3Spy1InHI-IBxh61eE-npev42QzkpfQCKgBGAs/s400/20170824_211609.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The Weleda Almond Soothing Cleansing Lotion 75ml was £10.50. It was bought based on a recommendation by Ruth Crilly's <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o1cJaPUL0Go&t=624s&list=LLkLpWvZvQKXq-isSxZsksdQ&index=4" target="_blank">Best Beauty for New Mums video</a>; mainly because she said you can tissue it off if needs must.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
It is a "natural product" designed for sensitive skin and is fragrance free but if I smell it, I smell alcohol, which is the 4th ingredient (I checked the inci list only after smelling it). </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
It claims to protect skin from drying out but when I tried it out my skin felt quite tight. I will however give it a chance and see how we go. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cleanser 75ml was £8.50. The brand seems to be quite popular so I thought I would see if the cleanser would work for me. Clearly, more research was required because I do not use foaming cleansers and I did not notice that it is a foaming cleanser. It has a ton of ingredients I am not happy with including parabens, alcohols in various form and even straight up salt. All the lovely ingredients they mention at the front of the packaging are right at the bottom of a very long inci list. I will, however, in the interests of science give this cleanser a try. It may change my life, although signs do not point in that direction. That being said, the scent isn't bad and the gel texture feels nice on my finger tips. Clearly this will be a first cleanse situation only. </div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-x1LAUJXwK2c/WZ9EgjJ8xCI/AAAAAAAAMzA/zwF29tK3ww4-IobbG-l8oKJ8oz1JOAeeQCKgBGAs/s1600/20170824_211657.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1282" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-x1LAUJXwK2c/WZ9EgjJ8xCI/AAAAAAAAMzA/zwF29tK3ww4-IobbG-l8oKJ8oz1JOAeeQCKgBGAs/s200/20170824_211657.jpg" width="160" /></a><br />
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The Balm Balm Frankincense Deep Cleansing Balm 30ml was £9.00. This is a brand and a product I had literally never hear of so I wanted to be adventurous and try something genuinely knew to me. I did not think it would be so tiny. It is the polar opposite of the Kiehl's. 100% certified organic with some lovely sounding ingredients. It does contain shea butter, but that doesn't worry me. It is also a cleanser so it won't stay on the skin and break you out if you are prone. The consistency is a balm which melts into an oily texture between my fingers and smells of beeswax which I think is really nice. I have high hopes for this one. There is a 60ml tub for £16.50, so it may work as an alternative for Emma Hardy; not a replacement, an alternative.</div>
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<br />
So, you though that was the end?<br />
<br />
Three little things bought. No big deal.<br />
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So, um no. There's more.<br />
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First is a repurchase . Seche Perfect Nail Rebuild 14ml from Amazon at £5.98. I love it. It does wonderful things to my nails.<br />
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Then there's the Rimmel Clear Complexion Powder. I needed a powder. this one cost me £3.15. I've never used it. I thought I'd try it.<br />
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I went to Boots with my mum about a month ago and we got some Nip + Fab Glycolic Fix night pads and some post-glycolic fix moisturiser. Verrrry nice. I truly love the citrucy smell of the moisturiser. They also work really well. They are not insanely priced and they are lovely. so win!<br />
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And then, to top it all off, I got myself a Birchbox. I got the July one and it came a with a free August one. I was super impressed. I have bought a Glossybox before and was disappointed. This was a different ball game entirely. There were some really nice bits and pieces and I will definitely repurchase one the next time I have a desperate need to buy a beauty box.<br />
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That is all. and now that I put it all in one place, that is a lot. I think I will enjoy trying out my new goodies and pause on the buying for now, but as you can see, the addiction is profound.<br />
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What are your recent purchases. Loves? Fails? Let me know!BecomingIrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07424223163972461024noreply@blogger.com