Beauty Kitchen - Abyssinian Oil Handbag Beauty Balm

As part of my cruelty free project, I've been working with the amazing Beauty Kitchen - a British company making incredible, natural products that smell divine.

The third product that I tried was this Abyssinian Handbag Beauty Balm. A small glass jar that I keep in my handbag for use "as required". And boy does my skin require it!

Beauty Kitchen - Abyssinian Oil Aroma Facial Concentrate

As part of my cruelty free project, I've been working with the amazing Beauty Kitchen - a British company making incredible, natural products that smell divine.

Another product that I tried out, was this Abyssinian Oil Aroma Facial Concentrate - a small glass bottle with a dropper, filled with oil that smells like Summer!

Beauty Kitchen - Inspire Me Brightening & Toning Bath Oil

As part of my cruelty free project, I've been working with the amazing Beauty Kitchen - a British company making incredible, natural products that smell divine.

One of the products I tried, was this heavenly-smelling bath oil.

Beauty Kitchen

One of the brands that I have been lucky enough to encounter during this project, is Beauty Kitchen. Built on a solid foundation of "100% effective everyday luxury beauty products with a sprinkle of fun and big dollop of transparency", the brand is British (yay!), completely natural, and of course cruelty free.

Mess, fun and drama – feeding children!

Without sounding smug, I was one of those very lucky mums that managed to breastfeed successfully without any issues. My babies took to it naturally, as did I, and both of my girls were breastfed until they were nine months.

The beginning of the Cruelty Free project

What beauty products do you love? L'oreal? Max Factor? Estee Lauder?

Some great products there, with great packaging, results and reviews. but just one major issue - these companies all test on animals.

Natasha Jade Art - The Brick Lane Mug

I'm always on the look out for gifts that offer something a little different. Wine, chocolates, flowers - it's all a little over done. It's lovely to know that someone has thought of you, but how much thought did they actually put into that bottle of wine that was probably on offer at the local supermarket? Or a box of chocolates from a well known brand that is guaranteed to include at least one that you don't like?

Marigold Latex Free Disposable Gloves

I feel like all I do is complain about my skin. Eczema this, eczema that. Anyone else living with it will completely understand where I am coming from! But it's more than just sore skin, because every day life can cause some serious discomfort, and one of the main culprits is cooking.

Marigold Latex Free Gloves

If you have eczema, like me, you'll know what an absolute nightmare cooking and cleaning can be. The copious amounts of hand washing, the effect of detergents and cleaning fluids on your hands - and if you're extra unlucky and have a latex allergy like me, you won't even be able to turn to trusty "rubber gloves" to help alleviate some of this.

The Husband's Secret - Liane Moriarty

A tale of haunting pasts, betrayal, lies and hurt - this book was 402 pages of sheer brilliance.

Set in Sydney, Australia, the book explores the intertwined lives of a number of residents who grew up together, moved apart, had families, and whose paths cross again through different twists of fate - only with a terrible secret lurking somewhere in the middle.

Seven Year Old Perspective

Sometimes, you need a reality check. You can run around cleaning up spills, making dinners, loading and unloading the dishwasher, doing endless laundry, wiping dirty faces and cuddling your babies - but at the end of the day you sit back exhausted, and if you're anything like me, you'll feel a little unappreciated.

15 things every mum says

As a child, it used to drive me crazy that from my point of view, my mum recycled the same fun-killing or nagging expressions time after time after time. They would really grate on me - what was wrong with trying to dangle out of my bedroom window? Or riding the dog? Or eating squirty cream straight from the can?

Cruelty free, dairy free - an eczema update

On the back of my recent post on Living With Eczema, I did promise an update on my progress!

David Swimwear

As many mums out there will agree, having babies can leave you very self conscious of your tum! No amount of exercise or dieting has ever managed to get my slightly baggy "mum pouch" to completely disappear, and this is obviously something that is on my mind when considering swimwear.

Chillipeeps Spout

I came across Chillipeeps via Twitter, and was indescribably excited. This was surely the invention that I had been waiting for!

The Magic of Time

I've had my fair share of heartbreak. From being taken to the opposite end of the country away from my dad as a child, to losing some of the closest people to me, to being lied to and cheated on by people I thought were the love of my life - I've been there.

Dwindling Friends

When I was at school, I felt pretty popular. I had a big circle of friends, a great social life, and I felt as though I would never, ever be lonely.

Part-time custody, full time love. The story of a blended family.

I’m the very lucky mummy of two happy, healthy children. They adore each other, and of course I adore them too. They look pretty different – one has poker straight blonde hair and blue eyes; the other has brown ringlets and brown eyes. But they both have my ski jump nose and the unfortunate chin shared by all of the women in my family.

Living with eczema

All of my life, I have suffered with eczema. That beastly sore skin condition that meant I would wake up with sores that were stuck to my bed sheets, would have to be dosed up on Piriton to stop me scratching, and couldn't have my face painted at parties.

Healthy,easy pizza

As part of my healthy eating/diet plan, I've been curious to find a way to enjoy the naughtier foods that I love, without undoing all my hard work.

This year's resolutions

This year, for the first time in a long time, I made some resolutions. I find the whole thing very cliched - "oh this year I'll be successful", "this year I'll give up drinking", "this year I'll give up chocolate".

Five ways to feel good

We've all woken up with the Monday morning blues. Whether you work or not, love your job or hate it, no one can feel 100% happy, 100% of the time.

Here's five ways I beat those blues, leaving me free to enjoy the rest of my day - life's for living!!

Co-sleeping - my experience

There are two very strict schools of thought where co-sleeping is concerned. Those who firmly believe that it is a natural, necessary thing to do to provide comfort and care to your children, and those who think that it is the most dangerous and neglectful thing that you can do.

I definitely fall within the former camp.

I have no medical qualifications. I have not read through the numerous studies, piles of research and recommendations from healthcare professionals.

I just did what felt right.

Mum Guilt

I love my babies. Two miniatures of me, with the same ski jump nose, unfortunate family chin, and cheeky personality.

They are both growing up to be such different little girls, with their own individual likes, dislikes, quirks and sense of personality, and as I am sure every parent can relate, I love them both so much that it hurts.

I would love to spend every moment of every day with my girls. Watching films, colouring, make and do, baking, playing outside, taking the dogs for a walk, cuddling on the sofa... But it's just not possible.

Public Bad Behaviour

I love my children. It's a kind of love I never even believed was possible - all consuming, every fibre of my being, so fierce it physically hurts.

What is "Cruelty Free"?

Once upon a time, I blindly thought that expensive meant good. I had heard about animal testing, mental images of sweet, fluffy bunnies strapped to metal gurneys in science fiction - type laboratories while evil scientists poked and prodded and covered them in noxious chemicals, and I believed that if I bought the more expensive, well known brands, I would be safeguarding those poor bunnies. I would not be a part of the problem.

Wrong.

Barry M - Flawless Finish Foundation (Matte)

I love makeup. Ever since I was a little girl I have loved being able to use different colours and tools to create whatever look takes my fancy. I've gone from sweet and innocent, to full on goth, to a little bit edgy, and back to fairly tame. But it always has to be good quality makeup.

Did you know that the chemicals in your makeup enter your bloodstream less than 30 seconds after you have applied the product to your skin? Worth thinking about.

Ten things I wish I knew when I was 18

I often lay in the bathtub and ponder life. What might have been, what I did wrong, what I got very right, what might happen in the future. I have some regrets, I have some triumphs, I have some "oh God just don't even think about it"s. Bathtub pondering is one of my favourite things.

Lately, I've been wondering what would have been helpful to have known at 18 (when my life took a very different direction than it might have), and whether it would have made any difference to where I am now.

Growing up and looking back

When I was younger, all I wanted to do was be a grown up. I saw being an adult as a huge sense of freedom, power, and the ability to do whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted.

So growing up came as quite a shock.