Prada Candy 50ml EDP & 75ml Lotion, was £55.00, now £36.67 and Jean Paul Gaultier-The Gaultier Gallery 4x 3.5ml, was £39.00, now £26.00
For Boyfriends
Dolce and Gabbana The One For Men 50ml EDT & 75ml Lotion, was £48.00, now £32.00 and James Bond 007 50ml EDT & 50ml Shower Gel, was £25.00, now £16.67
For Mums
Issey Miyake L’Eau D’Issey 50ml EDT, 75ml Shower Cream & 30ml Lotion, was £50.00, now £33.33 and Gucci Rush 30ml EDT & 50ml Body Lotion, was £40.00, now £26.67
For Dads
Jean Paul Gaultier Le Male 75ml EDT & 75ml Shower Gel, was £45.00, now £30.00 and Hugo Boss Signature 100ml EDT, 75ml Aftershave Balm & 75ml Shower Gel, was £55.00, now £36.67
For Grandmothers
Dolce and Gabbana Pour Femme 50ml EDP & 100ml Lotion, was £58.00, now £38.67
For Grandfathers
Paco Rabane Pour Homme 100ml EDT & 150ml Deodorant Spray, was £47.00, now £31.33
For Teenagers
One Direction You & I 50ml EDP & 150ml Lotion, was £29.00, now £19.33 and Candy Kitten 6 Piece Set, was £24.99, now £16.66
For Kids
Disney Princess 4x9ml EDT, was £12.00, now £8.00 and Spongebob Square Pants 100ml EDT & 200ml Body Wash, was £15.00, now £10.00
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| Nathalie Eleni, Facialist |
Nathalie Eleni is THE go-to skin guru to the stars. Her clientele include the gorgeous Carey Mulligan, Natalie Portman and Sandra Bullock.
A new mum herself to Louis, 2, she knows just how to cheat a full night's sleep by using a trick or two.
We press the beautiful facialist for all her insider knowledge exclusively for babyurbeautiful readers...
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| Bottles & Beauty |
N: Dry, flakey skin and Rosacea are very common skin concerns during the colder months.
Dry and sensitised skin can be caused from extreme temperature changes, being out in the freezing cold then coming inside warm central heating (which has an extreme drying effect).
Simple things like driving when you have the heat blasting out can affect skin massively. The dry, hot air can aggravate dehydrated skin further by disturbing the skins natural barrier, more moisture escapes and it causes parched and inflamed skin.
Keep a humidifier on during the night, it will add moisture to the air to help rehydrate whilst you sleep, as well as helping with sinus congestion from a winter cold that can sit under the eyes and over the cheek area giving your face a unflattering puffy look.
Bubs: But, what if it's really cold and you can't help whacking the heating on (brrr!)
N: When you're in the car make sure you don't point the heating towards your face as the heat will aggravate chapped winter skin, and protect your skins moisture levels with a face balm that is packed with Vitamin E that should protect from both hot and cold temperatures.
Bubs: Any overnight treats that will cheat a full nights sleep?
N: Yes! For a great night-time skin pick-me-up, place your favourite facial oil in your Avent baby heater and warm it up gently for a luxurious facial treatment. When applied to your face the heat will help the oil absorb for beautifully nourished skin by the morning.
If you are on a budget, make your own oil by adding 3 drops of Lavender essential oil to 5ml of Almond oil (dry skin) or Grapeseed (blemished skin) and place in the heater before massaging into your skin.
Bubs: Any other cheats to conceal that standard mummy sallow skin?
N: Facial massage is really beneficial in winter months when your circulation can be come sluggish. Start from the chin and working from the centre outwards use gently circular massage
movements. Use pressure points from either side of the nose pressing out under the cheekbone to remove toxins and help remove puffiness caused by sinus build up from winter colds. This will instantly brighten your complexion.
Try some muscle stretching along and between the eye brows and pressing your middle finger on to your brow then firmly lifting upwards, this will help to lift and open tired eyes, press outwards along the orbital with an eye gel to flush out toxins and to give a more refreshed look to eyes. A cheap and easy way to bring life back into your skin.
Bubs: We've been a little lazy of late, are using your baby's wipes to remove make-up, really that bad?
N: Yes! Everyone needs a quick-fix at times, but buy some Rose Water from a health shop and some cotton wool and keep it by your bed for when you are really tired.
Instead of reaching for the baby wipes, saturate a cotton-pad and wipe over your face several times until it's clean, it will take a minute, and is much better for your skin.
If you are going to use wipes, either Neals Yard or Yes to Carrots organic wipes are best - but not the cheapest.
Bubs: If you're time pressed, but your skin looks lacklustre, what top tips do you swear by?
N: Use a cleansing brush such as Braun Face to deeply clean pores, remove dead skin build up and enhance circulation in your skin for a brighter tone. They're the next big thing.
Add an illuminator to your moisturiser for added glow.
A pop of Rose pink cream blush to the apples of your cheeks and patted into your lips can give the impression of a good 8-hour kip
A highlighting under eye concealer in the inner corners will wake up and refresh, in the outer - it can sit and make lines look worse.
Dehydration lines are so ageing, and a good hydrating face serum with hyaluronic acid will help to fill them out.
Bubs: We've run out of SMP, do you have any budget-busting kitchen cupboard type tips?
N: Oh yes, natural yogurt is a great skin brightener as it contains lactic acid which eats away at the dead dulling cells. Apply to clean skin and leave for 10 mins before rinsing and applying a Vitamin E cream.
Bubs: Is it bad to go to sleep with your makeup on, and why? I keep nodding off...
N: Of course! It will clog pores, which can lead to the appearance of enlarged pores. Also your eyes can become puffy and irritated as some of the mascara can get into your eyes when you are sleeping.
Bubs: Damn! What trends would you say are big this winter? What looks do you love and think would be easy for mums to recreate?
N: A tinted moisturiser to multi-task, a swirl of bronzer to add warmth, a slick of mascara and a deep plum or blackberry matte lipstick like M.A.C in 'Media' for the ultimate glamour and sophistication this winter.
Left to right: plum bright, prince noir, runaway red, media
LN x
Now this post isn't directly about beauty or babies, it's about being savvy and getting things put right when they're wrong, which is particularly helpful if you're a mum trying to be careful with the pennies.
We all hate it when things break or don't go to plan, whether it be a new product you've purchased, or an existing one going wrong, or if you're so busy you forget to get things done in time. I'm one of those people, I plan to be super organised, not waste money or miss chances to collect points, I write lists, notes and reminders but somehow, quite often, all my good intentions fail.
My family and friends think I'm the ultimate complainer. If they need to return a problem item to the shops, they ask me to do it, or if they've bought something they're not happy with, they ask me what to do. I'm no expert, but I think we are all trying to spend wisely these days, and we choose our purchases with care - so if something doesn't do what it's meant to we should get our money back or a replacement...no need to be a nasty complainer, just politely get things rectified and more often than not, companies want our custom and are only too happy to oblige.
And I don't stop at shop bought products. If there's a service I'm not happy with, I tell them. I don't do it on purpose to gain money or credit etc, I just believe that you should get the service or product you pay for. I want to inspire you all so here are some of my recent examples: (I've had a bad few months)
{Faulty product}
I bought a lovely happy sunny yellow K-mix toaster from Tesco. It cost me fifty quid! For a toaster! It is gorgeous, it brightens my kitchen and toasts my bagels to perfection. To my horror one Monday (of all the days) it decided to only work if I held the button down. Never before did I realise how long it takes to toast a piece of bread. I'd had the toaster almost a year, no packaging, no receipt – but I did buy it online from Tesco Direct. So off I toddled down to the local branch with my k-mix wrapped up in a plastic bag complete with breadcrumbs. The man at customer service checked my online account to see proof of purchase, apologied for the inconvenience and gave me a brand new replacement there and then, along with another 1 year warranty. Breakfast disaster averted! Even though it was a Kenwood product, I had to take it to Tesco as that's where I bought it, they are the merchandiser, so it's their responsibility to fix the problem, not Kenwood. (This goes for any faulty product, you return it to where you purchased, not to the brand directly as your contract is with the shop.)
{Wrong description}
I was trying to be clever and save a little cash earlier this year by buying my little girl a pricey but cute wooly romper in the spring sale, ahead for this winter. The tag said age 12-18 months so I snapped up the deal and packed it away in her special drawer. When I decided to delve into her treasure chest of new clothes I was really annoyed to discover that whilst the tag said 12-18, the garment label was actually 6-12!! Waaaaaa!! What on earth could I possibly do? I'd paid good money for something that now would only fit her for a month or two. My friend said to just give it to charity and not get hung up on it – but I thought it was worth taking into the store (Baby Gap) and explaining the situation? I had no receipt but the Manager could clearly see it was their error, and whilst he couldn't offer me a refund as I had no proof of purchase, he said I could take a look around and if there was anything I wanted to buy, he would give me a 40% discount! I would've been happy with a £5 giftcard! My husband wasn't too impressed when I came home with two large Gap bags, but who could resist such an offer?
{Mis-sold}
More than ever I am trying to grab every opportunity to collect points and save money. My purse is bulging not with money but with loyalty cards. Starbucks give you a free drink for every 15 purchases with their loyalty card and as I don't go there all that often it's taken me quite a few months to even get halfway to seven. You can imagine then that I wasn't thrilled to find out that you can't actually collect points officially unless you've registered online – the lady in the shop told me I could! Now I know we are only talking about a coffee here, and it certainly wouldn't be worth the effort of a formal letter of complaint but it turned out worthwhile to mention it to the store manager. Not only did she rectify my card error and give me a free drink (yes, ahem, I always order venti caramel lattes with extra cream) she also apologised again on my next visit that weekend and gave me a voucher for yet another drink! So it turns out, I now go to Starbucks quite a lot :(
{Expired giftcard}
One of my best friends gave me and my husband a wonderful anniversary present, a giftcard for a fancy London hotel with the idea of indulging in some cocktails or going to their private cinema. As it was such a special gift we wanted to save it for a special night out...and you guessed it, pregnancy came, and out went my organised self and in came chaos and baby brain. A year later I was feeling really regretful about missing out, so following my own mantra "don't ask, don't get" I figured it was worth a try. I emailed the hotel and explained the situation and gave the giftcard number. I sat and waited a week, then chased them again. I thought oh well, it was worth a try. Over a year out of date, they must be thinking I'm being a bit cheeky? But no! To my surprise they emailed and said 'of course it's no problem' and they look forward to welcoming us soon! Yum yum, hello passionfruit mojito with a twist.
This list could go on and on, in the past year I've returned many things that just weren't right. Chicken that was off (but in date), a broken tap (brand new replaement and got plumbing cost reimbursed), beauty product that irritated my skin, baby thermometer that wasn't accurate, a jumper that bobbled after one wear, my buggy (wheels weren't turning properly, Mamas and Papas fitted new chassis and 4 new wheels) ....why should we put up with things that are wrong?
I want to encourage you all to seize the day, take the bull by the horns, and any other phrase that gets you to get things sorted - banish stress and annoyance from your life! You don't need to be an annoying complainer, just be polite and get what you pay for, it's worth mentioning if it's not right. If you don't ask, you don't get.
Let us know if you have any good results and inspiring stories.
CQx
Are you looking for a ingenious gift to give someone this year? And really torn with what on earth to buy (what with all the choice out there).
Gift buying is a very daunting task, especially if you don't have any children yourself.
The obvious choice is to waltz into Mothercare or Mamas and Papas and stock up on the assistants' first recommendation.
When you're ideally looking for a gift that definitely wont have been purchased on a ten times over by auntie, nanny etc....
Say hello to our little Trunki friends, who have created a 'Made for Me' service, aka a personalised Trunki travel case - which we think is just brilliant.
If you're not familiar with the Trunki, it's a nifty little case that has an 18 litre internal capacity, looks cool. It keeps the little ones entertained, while transporting any essentials like toys, clothes etc, AND it triples up as a ride-on toy. Absolutely essential for any budding Judith Chalmers.
With the personalised Made for Me service, there are a 100,000,000 combinations - that's ONE BILLION COMBOS (she says with little finger firmly placed to her mouth Dr Evil style).
As there are 9 different parts x 10 different colours, so that's 10 to the power of 9 combinations - (maths was never my strong point), but apparently this is a BILLION combinations - and I will take their word for it as I was lost at the 9 part.
From the colour of the nose, the straps, the stripes, the hub caps... YOU create the colourway for a little one to enjoy - and make holidays that little bit less stressful.
The Trunki is 3.8lbs, 46 x 20.5 x 31 with a 5 year guarantee, and this particular service will set you back a nice purse-friendly £39.99.
Now, don't be stealing my design prowess ideas... But here's the one I designed for my little man...
LN xx
Gift buying is a very daunting task, especially if you don't have any children yourself.
The obvious choice is to waltz into Mothercare or Mamas and Papas and stock up on the assistants' first recommendation.
When you're ideally looking for a gift that definitely wont have been purchased on a ten times over by auntie, nanny etc....
Say hello to our little Trunki friends, who have created a 'Made for Me' service, aka a personalised Trunki travel case - which we think is just brilliant.
 |
| Trunki for your little monkey |
If you're not familiar with the Trunki, it's a nifty little case that has an 18 litre internal capacity, looks cool. It keeps the little ones entertained, while transporting any essentials like toys, clothes etc, AND it triples up as a ride-on toy. Absolutely essential for any budding Judith Chalmers.
With the personalised Made for Me service, there are a 100,000,000 combinations - that's ONE BILLION COMBOS (she says with little finger firmly placed to her mouth Dr Evil style).
As there are 9 different parts x 10 different colours, so that's 10 to the power of 9 combinations - (maths was never my strong point), but apparently this is a BILLION combinations - and I will take their word for it as I was lost at the 9 part.
From the colour of the nose, the straps, the stripes, the hub caps... YOU create the colourway for a little one to enjoy - and make holidays that little bit less stressful.
The Trunki is 3.8lbs, 46 x 20.5 x 31 with a 5 year guarantee, and this particular service will set you back a nice purse-friendly £39.99.
Now, don't be stealing my design prowess ideas... But here's the one I designed for my little man...
LN xx
Bathtime Bubbles Whale - V Tech Bathtime Whale
Scrub a dub dub...it’s bubble time in the tub!
We just had to write and tell you about this bathtime beauty, now two of the team are happily enjoying their 'Whaley' good purchase, with one soon to follow...
It's really lovely seeing our little men mesmerised when bubbles are keeping them occupied in the bath, as the stacking cups are getting a bit old hat now (and since a poo scooping bath incident), it's kinda refreshing.
If you have a young baby it's excellent, as you can sit them up in their bath seat, like a safety first swivel bath seat, which allows you to be hands free.
This bubble producing, all singing and dancing flashing toy makes for a WHALE of a (bath) time for both mum and baby.
It's got a few calypso beats, so it's and good for mood enhancing. It even has a song which sounds suspiciously like Robbie Williams “Candy”, (wonder who's getting the royalties) but it’s not. Maybe the baby version!
It has got super strong suction to hold it in place and is completely waterproof. We're pleasantly surprised at how super easy to fit and use it is and it hasn't got mould or full of freezing cold water like most do.
It's great for making bathtime more interactive as baby gets older, and to keep usual gloopy bubbles low maintanance on the clear up side of things.
It's available for around £19.99 at most retailers, however Argos has 2 for 3 on all toys, so the cheapest is free - get involved!
Now that the sweet smelling Christmas cups are out in Starbucks and the weather's turned nippy, it's time to accept the fact that winter is well and truly here and Christmas is fast approaching! I love the excitement of shopping for gifts and of course buying new clothes for my 'winter wardrobe' (no, I don't have anything to wear from last year, new clothes needed.) But the seasonal item I didn't realise I needed until now, is in fact a new razor...?
Last week the Babyurbeautiful team were lucky enough to be invited to the exclusive launch of Gillette Venus ProSkin Sensitive razor - it was such a beautiful narnia-esque scene and really got us in the mood for winter!
Now let's be honest, a razor is probably not hot on your list of important things to buy this time of year; if you're anything like me, as soon as that frost comes it's black tights on, long pyjamas and not a bare leg in sight until March! Okay, maybe I'll shave if it's the Christmas party or if I get a spare moment of sanity and consciously think I better sort myself out (I'm not a beast, honestly).
Well, now my routine is about to change – the Venus ProSkin makes life so much easier; dermalogically tested, its five floating blades glide up the legs and the extra-rich protective ribbon of moisture lubricates and protects the skin – even the next morning my pins felt nourished and no sign of irritation. This is the key factor for me, because I hate it when I shave and get flaky, dry, bothersome skin the next day - our legs need extra help with the cold British winds! Even when lathering on the most enriching moisturiser, if the shave is no good, I get prickly, chapped, pensioner style legs (no offence Nan) and that's not a good look.
So it's out with the old and in with the new. I've binned my summer razor and replaced it with a gorgeous new turquoise one...now I just need some new skirts to motivate me to actually shave! As if hearing my thoughts (fears!), Gillette are asking us ladies to capture our winter bare legs in the name of fashion and beauty #whateverweather
RRP £9.99 but on offer for a devilish £6.66 at Boots right now
www.boots.com
CQx
Oh my wow! We are so excited. It's starting to feel a lot like Christmas...
Tesco have launched their first EVER beauty advent calendar.
Forget choccies and the calories, indulge in this beauty instead.
Bursting with brands like Korres, Katy Perry, Dr LeWinns, Candy Kittens, Eyelure - it's everything you need for party season and MORE.
From cosmetics to fragrance and shower gels, it'll feel like Christmas every day.
For only £50 instead of the actual retail value of a whopping £125, best tell daddy to treat a much deserving mummy ASAP!
Tesco have launched their first EVER beauty advent calendar.
Forget choccies and the calories, indulge in this beauty instead.
Bursting with brands like Korres, Katy Perry, Dr LeWinns, Candy Kittens, Eyelure - it's everything you need for party season and MORE.
From cosmetics to fragrance and shower gels, it'll feel like Christmas every day.
For only £50 instead of the actual retail value of a whopping £125, best tell daddy to treat a much deserving mummy ASAP!
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| Best go to Tesco Tesco Beauty Advent Calendar LN x |
Wow, we've finally found something that helps bedtime! Hallelujah!
The Slumber Buddy.
I purchased the cute elephant variety.
Due to me finding out I was preggers in Thailand, I then decided my son would then be obsessed with Elephants, natch. So there's why I went for 'Eddie the Elephant.'
The Slumber Buddy is in the form of a teddy (elephant) with a plastic shell on the top where a star a moon display projects around the room in a warming blue, green and amber, and is really rather cute with stars, moons etc.
It also works as a nightlight giving the room a warm glow so baby feels comforted.
There are 3 lullabies available, 2 nature sounds and a heart-beat (this is probably best for very young babies). Although when my son had a bad belly I found myself rocking him on the rocking chair, at 4am, listening to a repetitive heartbeat for half an hour!
The general lullabies and soothing music lulls your little ones to sleep, and the calming display catches their attention, soothes, calms and relaxes them.
I've also tried the slumber buddy at alternative times, I found that when my little one is having a meltdown at nappy change time I press the button and the music kicks in and actually shuts him up!
Although suitable from birth, we only found this 10 months in - if ONLY we had found it sooner.
Bedtimes are normally tears, tantrums and fighting and random giggles as he refuses to go down. As I type this post I can hear the lullaby tune playing softly in his room, with a 30 minute shut off time (also a 15 and 45), by the time he's in a deep, deep sleep it'll finish up.
If you're looking for a babyshower gift - this is your buddy.
Slumber Buddy Tesco
LN xx
The Slumber Buddy.
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| Slumber Buddy Elephant |
I purchased the cute elephant variety.
Due to me finding out I was preggers in Thailand, I then decided my son would then be obsessed with Elephants, natch. So there's why I went for 'Eddie the Elephant.'
The Slumber Buddy is in the form of a teddy (elephant) with a plastic shell on the top where a star a moon display projects around the room in a warming blue, green and amber, and is really rather cute with stars, moons etc.
It also works as a nightlight giving the room a warm glow so baby feels comforted.
There are 3 lullabies available, 2 nature sounds and a heart-beat (this is probably best for very young babies). Although when my son had a bad belly I found myself rocking him on the rocking chair, at 4am, listening to a repetitive heartbeat for half an hour!
The general lullabies and soothing music lulls your little ones to sleep, and the calming display catches their attention, soothes, calms and relaxes them.
I've also tried the slumber buddy at alternative times, I found that when my little one is having a meltdown at nappy change time I press the button and the music kicks in and actually shuts him up!
Although suitable from birth, we only found this 10 months in - if ONLY we had found it sooner.
Bedtimes are normally tears, tantrums and fighting and random giggles as he refuses to go down. As I type this post I can hear the lullaby tune playing softly in his room, with a 30 minute shut off time (also a 15 and 45), by the time he's in a deep, deep sleep it'll finish up.
If you're looking for a babyshower gift - this is your buddy.
Slumber Buddy Tesco
LN xx
As I pottered around Primark, I stumbled across one of those face masks you used to treat yourself to as a teen with your pocket money. You know the ones?
Often pink or green in colour, muds, peel-off, heat-up, little bit dated in packaging, a glam model oh the front resplendent in pink goo with strategically placed fruit on her eyes (and often in her gob).
Those ones.
And whist they look a little bit crud, at a purse-friendly £1, they're not to be sniffed at.
Most of 'em will give you a good two masques at least.
Most of 'em will give you a good two masques at least.
So, as I've been one of the lucky ladies to be wiped out with flu, as well as my little one. Cue whining, and snotty messes pour deux, my skin has gone to POT!
Red raw nose, rash around my mouth, spots I never had. Attractive.
Red raw nose, rash around my mouth, spots I never had. Attractive.
In my desperation I grabbed the first thing to hand - the aforementioned mask:
Montagne Jeunesse Blemish Mud Mask between £1-1.49 depending on the retailer.
Tingly on application, and taut as Tom Daly's abs the masque set to work and hardened within minutes.
To the point I couldn't smile or speak (probably a good thing).
With a mud blend of aloe vera, willow, rosemary and tingly spot-attacking witch hazel, the mask left my skin refreshed, to say the least.
I can't promise it'll get rid of acne, but it certainly calmed my red-raw skin.
For a quick-fix and a nice treat while you bathe - I'd certainly recommend a go.
LN x
To the point I couldn't smile or speak (probably a good thing).
With a mud blend of aloe vera, willow, rosemary and tingly spot-attacking witch hazel, the mask left my skin refreshed, to say the least.
I can't promise it'll get rid of acne, but it certainly calmed my red-raw skin.
For a quick-fix and a nice treat while you bathe - I'd certainly recommend a go.
LN x
