10 Year Birthday Giveaway Details - Friday Video

So finally here are the details of how I will be celebrating the blogs 10 year birthday in 2016

Hourglass Modernist Eye Shadow Palette

I'm very up and down about this palette. On the one hand I'm a bit in love with Hourglass as a brand. I love most of the products I've tried (I'm iffy on their tinted moisturisers), I love their ideas - the ambient lighting powders, the liquid lipstick that does not budge, the brow pencil that is usable and works. And I really love the concept of the Modernist Eye Shadow Palette, and the colour range. But there are just a couple of things I'm not 100% happy with and I think for £56 I have to be 100% happy with something. Would I re-buy it - well I would like to try Monochrome, Colour Field and Obscura but not until they improve the forumla.

Bepanthen Nappy Care Ointment and Baby Moisturiser

I was sent a lovely box of Bepanthen goodies to try out on the willing Jim baby. He actually made a very good guinea-pig. He is teething so has quite acidic pee and tends to have dry skin patches on his tummy so both creams were needed.

Speak to any mum and they all have a specific nappy rash cream they prefer to use. I'm a great believer in Sudocrem others prefer Metanium which I've never had work successfully. But Sudocrem is quite thick and icky to apply for every nappy change so I'm afraid sometimes it's only used when redness is already starting to show. But, as with a lot of things there are so many different products to choose from it's easier to just stick with what you know. So I'm really grateful I was given the opportunity to try the Bepanthen Nappy Care Ointment. This cream has a really nice texture - almost gel-like, so it's really easy to apply and your both not inadvertently covered in it by the end of the nappy change. It doesn't contain any fragrance, preservatives colours or antiseptics so it's suitable as a nappy rash prevention cream to be used at every nappy change. The ointment forms a breathable, transparent layer to protect from irritation and rubbing.

The tube is also incredibly easy to use - a flip top lid means you can open and close it one handed which is a massive bonus.

In terms of dry skin again with my eldest I left it until it was a bit late. Only once he had dry skin, mostly on his arms, did I start to apply cream and for him I've always loved Oilatum Junior. I bought stacks of the stuff when Jim arrived and vowed to baste him daily but he still had little dry patches on his tum. These have gone with regular use of the Bepanthen Baby Moisturiser which I try and use every time he gets out of the bath. It has no perfumes or harsh chemicals so it's great for children with sensitive skin and can be used from newborn up.

The moisturiser contains Vitamin B5 which helps to deeply moiturise and nourish the skin and is free from alcohol, colours, fragrances, parabans, lanolin and paraffin.

I would absolutely recommend both of these creams - I'm going to keep Sudocrem on-hand for anytime an antiseptic cream is needed but hopefully this will be a lot less often with the preventative help of the Nappy Care Ointment. Reasonably priced and easily available, Bepanthen works closely with parents, nurses and midwives so they know what they are doing. Their website has a tone of useful information so it's worth taking a look.

What You Need to Know - Bepanthen Baby Moisturiser and Nappy Care Ointment

• Moisturiser is £5.99 for 100ml
• Ointment is available in three sizes £3.99 for 30g, £5.99 for 50g and £7.99 for 100g 
• The Nappy Care Ointment does not contain any antiseptic - it is a preventive barrier cream. 
• Available in the UK from Boots, Asda, Ocado, Superdrug and Tesco

Top 5 Pro Kit Essentials with Leila Boyd - Friday Video

Huge massive thanks to Leila who came to film this with me...

Coconoil Virgin Coconut Oil

I'm not usually one for fads. Coconut water has passed me by, partly because I hate the taste of coconut, and coconut oil was disappearing into the distance as well but then I very nicely got sent some Coconoil Virgin Coconut Oil to try and when I get sent something, I try it. Thank God I did. Over the past 3 months this has been a total lifesaver, or more specifically, face saver. And it's not only ethical but established in the wake of the 2004 Tsunami to create a new source of revenue for the Sri Lankan economy. Coconoil is picked, pressed and packaged in Sri Lanka to keep the most socially responsible chain from grower to distributer. Coconut oil is mostly used in cooking or as a base for some skincare products but recently a lot of people, now me included, have been slathering it on their faces in it's purest form.

More Christmas Gift Ideas

Some more things that I think would make lovely presents... Quite a few candles feature. 

• Hourglass Ambient Lighting Edit - regular readers will know that I find face palettes a little bit gimicky but Hourglass have really nailed it here. Wearable colours that will suit most skintones, giving a beautiful lit finish without being too shimmery and over the top. Really nice shaped palette with a mirror, chunky but not too fat to go in a travel make-up bag. Especially came into its own when I had a dramatic change in hair colour and needed to warm up my skin tone without looking overly bronzed for December. (Top Row l-r: Dim Light Powder, Irridescent Light powder, Diffused Light powder. Bottom Row l-r: Mood Exposure Blush, Luminous Flush Blush, Luminous Bronze Light Bronzer) £62

Make-up Tips - Friday Video

There was no review up on Wednesday because we are all ill... nothing as dramatic as a sick bug just a really bloody boring cold. But I filmed this before it set in. YOU ARE WELCOME...

Sorry its a bit long... there's no point doing this and then not fully explaining what I'm doing

If you are not already subscribed to my YouTube channel then you should do it... it will be to your advantage in the new year when I'm giving something away every month!