Elijah In Print!

Total self promotion kinda post I'm afraid!

Just in case anyone here might be interested, I now have a regular column in The Jewish News, all about trying to remain glam while being a new mummy. The column is called "Confessions of a (Nearly) Yummy Mummy" and it will feature funny and pretty accurate tales from mine and Elijah's happenings...with a dose of fashion and beauty thrown in of course!

The first column is out in today's issue and is also available to view online, so make sure you check it out.

OK, plug over! Enjoy x

Essie After School Boy Blazer

I am a nail varnish addict. There should be a support group somewhere for people like me! I'm often asked why I don't get gels and the simple answer is because I love to change my nail colour way too often to bother with a manicure that makes the colour last for weeks!

When Essie brought out their range in Boots last year, I was so excited. Essie is normally quite pricey, but the drugstore range is much cheaper - £7.99 for a really good polish is a bargain to me! Plus, their brushes are, in my opinion, better than the regular Essie brushes. Shorter, thicker and easier to apply.

I wanted to check out the new AW13 range of colours and the one which really caught my eye, and several other bloggers, is After School Boy Blazer...the most perfect dark navy blue you ever did see!

The colour is amazing. A dark inky black in some lights and a rich navy blue in others. It's dramatic and stylish, the perfect colour for adorning your nails for the new season.

I applied it on the weekend and it's staying power is fab and I've had loads of compliments on the colour. I think this will become a bit of a cult shade so make sure you grab a bottle.

What do you think of After School Boy Blazer? Enjoy x

All That Glitters...

Another day, another post about my idol Beyonce!

I couldn't NOT share these pictures though from the latest issue of Flaunt magazine, where Beyonce has been styled wearing nothing but a shed load of super sparkly glitter.

The interview is great too and to quote the magazine; "What's not to love about the Great Queen Bee. She's a machine. She's untouchable. And she makes us feel fierce by proximity." Preach!

It hints at Beyonce's highly anticipated 5th solo album, but really, this interview is all about the photo shoot. Check out that amazing body...sigh...if she can look like that post baby, then so shall I dammit!

What do you make of this fabulous shoot? Enjoy x

Images from Flaunt.com

Lush Skin Care

I went to one of my favourite shops last week for a little treat! I spend so much of my time and money buying things for Elijah (who can resist tiny little baby clothes?!) that most of the time I never treat myself to anything. Sometimes a new nail polish, lipstick, necklace or bubble bath is all that is needed to feel like you are a proper human being again instead of just a new mama!

So I paid Lush a little visit last week, as I was in desperate need for a new moisturiser and body lotion and Lush is always the place I head to when new skin care is needed. I feel like my skin is more dry than normal at the moment (bye bye amazing pregnancy hormones) and with the sun and heat, I wanted something that would really hydrate and nourish my skin.

First up is Sympathy For The Skin. First off, the smell of this thick creamy lotion is gorgeous. It's made from cocoa butter and bananas and is super nourishing for the skin. It also has the likes of almond oil, lemon oil, sandalwood oil and glycerine. Although it is a thick cream, the gel like consistency of the mashed up organic bananas makes it very good at sinking into the skin. This leaves my whole body feeling silky soft and I love it!

Next is Imperialis, a delightful face moisturiser. With elderflower, lavender, St. John's wort, sweet violet, organic extra virgin olive oil...to name a few mega ingredients, this moisturiser is a dream to apply to a dehydrated face. This is a really light cream (despite being made of cocoa butter) and is great for combination skin. Again, it's super lightweight which makes it melt into the skin.

Finally I picked up a bottle of Eau Roma Water - a fresh smelling toner. This is great to carry around in your bag and spritz onto your face for an instant refresher, or you can spray it onto cotton wool and use it as a toner to remove any last traces of make up. That's mainly how I use it. It's basically made from lavender water and rose water, which makes it wonderfully simple and ideal for any skin type. I find it helps calm my skin if I've suffered from a break out, but it also makes it feel squeaky clean and very toned.

So those are my new fave picks from Lush. Have you tried any of them out before? Enjoy x

Project Take 10 - Wildfox Couture

Two posts in one day...I did say I was back :)

This post is something a little different and special.

I was contacted by Wildfox Couture to take part in an exclusive project called Project Take 10 - a social styling project. Basically, fashion brands, in this case, Wildfox Couture, choose 10 fashion bloggers and send them a piece from their range to style as they see fit. The bloggers then take photos of themselves in their outfit and the general public can vote for their favourite. Fun right?

Of course I was a little shy, being almost 9 months pregnant presented the slight problem of posing in a piece that non-preggy gorgeous girls would be wearing, and trying to make it look good, and not an advert for maternity fashion. But, I do like a challenge.

The piece we were sent was this gorgeous sequin heart jumper - pretty perfect, considering the voting closes on Valentine's Day....ahhhhhhh. I immediately fell in love with this jumper. So perfect for snuggling up in with this freezing weather, and the pretty sequin heart is adorable for Valentine's Day.

I decided to go for a cute geek chic look, as I love pairing a slouchy (well, it would be slouchy if it weren't for my big bump) with a cute skirt and geeky accessories. The skirt is from H&M last year, and is made up of about 5 layers, the faux pearl collar necklace is also from H&M, the frilly socks are from American Apparel, my glasses are from my uncle's optician in Camden and my shoes are c/o Steve Madden. Considering the price point for the jumper is £185, it makes sense to keep the rest of the look high street chic ;-) My lipstick is MAC Up the Amp and my nails are Essie Cute As A Button.

So here is my styled jumper. If you like it and would like to vote for me (take pity on the preggo) then visit this link: http://selfserviceuk.wordpress.com/2013/02/06/wildfox-take-10/ and vote away. As I said before, voting closes on Valentine's Day, so there is plenty of time.

Make sure you check out the rest of the gorgeous bloggers taking part in the challenge too by clicking the link.

Thanks for checking it out and enjoy! x

What I've Been Up To Recently

Sorry for the long absence...The last couple of weeks have been manic. I've finished work, ready for maternity leave, had my baby shower, Darren's birthday, lots of writing, seeing friends and family, obsessing over Beyonce at the Super Bowl half time show and basically doing as much as possible, as the countdown to Titch's arrival is now just over 3 weeks! How has that happened?!


It's been a really busy but fun couple of weeks and getting everything ready for Titch's arrival is exhausting, but enjoyable at the same time. It feels like I'm playing house, or we're playing mummies and daddies...weird!


Anyway, here is a little round up of what I have been up to recently. How has your last week been? Been up to anything fun? Enjoy x

Decorating Titch's room

Baby Jonah meets Great Grandma Rose for the first time

Celebrating Darren's birthday at my favourite restaurant - Banners in Crouch End

Mmmm...mammoth Greek salad and garlic chips at Banners

Hanging out with my gorgeous nephew

My baby shower cake

Baby shower spread - including surprise cupcakes from my besties in LA

Amazing present from one of my best friends, Tola

Bump at 36 weeks

The best wallpaper ever - at The Breakfast Club in Shoreditch

Red Velvet cake in Brick Lane bakery

Dad and Darren putting the cot together

Lusting over more cakes in Spitalfields Market

Snow Day

Sorry for the long absence! Blogger has been playing up and I haven't been able to upload any pictures :( Thanks to some bloggers who were also experiencing problems, I discovered that the problem didn't exist if using Google Chrome...so now I am and ta da...problem resolved!

I've also been busy becoming an aunty this week! My brother and sis in law had their gorgeous baby late Wednesday night - a beautiful baby boy called Jonah. I am already so obsessed with him and am planning on spoiling him silly. Here's a pic of the amazing new addition to our family.

Jonah Lewis

So if you are a UK resident, you'll have probably been stranded at home in the gorgeous snow all weekend. Darren and I decided (well, I wanted to and I dragged Darren) to go for a walk in the snow, as there really wasn't anything else to do.

We walked to our local park, which was full of people sledding down the snow adorned hills. It was so beautiful and the snow was falling constantly, so we took advantage and took some bump pics, as Darren is always saying we don't take enough. So dressed in my sparkly Topshop maternity jumper, the only coat which still does up over my bump, my favourite hat and my Dior snow boots (bought for £10 from the Dior sample sale when I used to work there) I posed for some bump shots.

Here are a few pics of our afternoon in the snow. Have you been out enjoying the snow today? Enjoy x

loved this kid's matching neon sled and hat - so SS13! 

I Love Lola!

I love a beautiful perfume. I'm one of those girls who always asks a stranger what perfume she (or he) is wearing if they smell amazing - yes this is a tiny bit weird, but who doesn't love a compliment?!

Since become a perfume lover, I have tried many different fragrances, ranging from the classic Coco by Chanel, Miss Dior and J'adore by Dior to Lovely by Sarah Jessica Parker (all past favourites of mine). However, there has been one brand, which I am drawn to time and time again, thanks to the gorgeous scents and equally gorgeous bottles and packaging - Marc Jacobs.

So far, I have tried all of the fragrances in the Marc Jacobs range. Daisy was my first and the main reason I fell in love with the range. Feminine, sweet and yet not too girly and the bottle, well, when you see the lids on these bottles, you cannot mistake them for anything other than a Marc Jacobs perfume (I love them so much that even when I have finished the perfume, I - reluctantly - throw out the bottle and keep the lids).

This year, I was treated to Dot for my birthday, the newest fragrance in the range, and I do love it - sweet ladybird inspired bottle and soft, fresh summer scent, but I do feel it is more of a summer fragrance. When sampling Dot I also tried out Lola, and I instantly fell in love. It is by far my favourite fragrance of the collection, and having been given a bottle for Christmas, I now spray this stunning scent on myself and my scarves, so I can continue to smell it throughout the day.

It really is one of those scents, which makes you stop and ask what it is. The perfume is described as: 

Opening with fruity topnotes of delectable bright pink peppercorn, seductive pear d’anjou and succulent ruby red grapefruit. The ultra-feminine heart is highlighted by the lavish fuschia peony with soft touches of rose and geranium, while the base lingers on the skin, exuding a warm and seductive aura with enveloping notes of smooth vanilla, tonka bean and creamy musk.

The bottle and lid are also adorable and just as gorgeous as every other perfume in the range. A beautiful purple bottle with a large pink and purple flower lid - not sure which flower, but I'm going to go with a peony.

I don't normally rabbit on about one particular perfume or product in particular, but I have fallen head over heels in love with Lola and I wanted to share it with you!

Have you tried Lola before? Are you a fan of Marc Jacob's perfumes and his iconic bottle designs? Enjoy x