ModiBodi Maternity*

Where has time gone? All of a sudden it’s basically September, I’m 30+ weeks pregnant, getting married in less than a month and just a few short weeks after that will be mum to a little girl!

For the most part I am super organised with it all, I’m one of those people who micro-manage everything, and whilst it still feels like there is loads to do there really actually isn’t. One area I am definitely not organised with though is packing a hospital bag for both myself and for baby. I haven’t even made a list, I don’t even really know what to take! I might be super on top of things for what baby is going to need, but when it comes to Mum I am clueless. The only thing I have so far are some great little maternity products that I was gifted from cult period pant brand ModiBodi which I was kindly sent, these are sat next to my otherwise empty hospital holdall waiting to be joined by…well…I don’t actually know what yet!

I was sent the Breastfeeding Cami and Maternity Briefs, obviously it’s impossible to give a full review at this stage given that I’m not post-birth, but what I can tell you is how lovely they feel and how comfortable they are to wear.
The Breastfeeding Cami is designed to give comfort and support whilst absorbing up to 25ml of boob leak per cup, making it an more environmentally friendly alternative to disposable breast pads and something I’m planning to use especially in hospital when I want to be packing as little as possible (famous last words!)
You can also wear this pre-birth to deal with any leakage, I’m not quite there yet but I feel like it’s only a matter of time!
Another added bonus is it has an inbuilt sling to assist with one handed feeding; something I will surely find invaluable once Bob goes back to work.

The briefs certainly aren’t sexy, but arguably better looking than the M&S granny pants I’ve been living in of late. Much like the period pants these are designed to deal with bleeding, discharge, bladder leaks etc, the difference being these have a much higher absorbency than the period pants and are cut to suit an ever expanding bump/be comfortable on a post-baby belly. These are so comfortable and I’m definitely going to get a few pairs in stock for those first few weeks especially. I find regular pads uncomfortable so the idea of maternity ones fills me with dread! I also like how secure these feel once on, and whilst pricey they can be used as period pants once things go back to normal too.

It would be a bit extreme to say I’m looking forward to fully testing out these items, although it would mean to wait to meet baby is finally over! I’m just keeping everything crossed she doesn’t decide to make an early appearance at the wedding- or at least until I have my hospital bag packed!

Those who already have children, what were your must haves for your hospital bags? Both for yourself and for baby?

Thanks ModiBodi for giving me a jump-start!

The Hair Boss

I’m definitely guilty of being fickle when it comes to my hair care products and routine. I’m forever picking up new products to try and tame my long, thick hair, but often end up underwhelmed or don’t deem them worthy of the price tag when they aren’t on special offer. It takes quite a lot to impress me and make me want to part with my cash for a repurchase, and today we’re going to see whether The Hair Boss by Lisa Shepherd could convince me.
[Note these products were gifted for blog consideration].

As you can see, it’s a very attractive bunch of products, and they certainly look pretty in my bathroom!
The Hair Boss focuses on a 4-step hair regime and there are several ranges available for all different hair types; you can do a free consultation on the website to find out the perfect four product plan for you.

Because my hair is so thick I am prone to getting a product build up, sometimes leaving me with a flaky scalp, so the products of greatest interest to me were The Scalp Scrub (a pre-treatment) and The Scalp Soothing Tonic, part of the step 4 styling range.
Both of these products were an entirely new concept to me- the scalp scrub is great, it works as a pre-wash exfoliator that you use weekly to rid the scalp product, dirt and oil buildup. It feels a bit odd at first, putting something distinctly grainy on to your head, but you get used to it and the results are well worth it.
The Scalp Soothing Tonic is designed to soothe a dry and itchy scalp by cooling it and rebalancing the PH. I’ve definitely noticed a reduction in the flakiness I was getting since using this, alongside the scrub so both products are well worth the £7.99 price tag and I will at the very least be buying the scrub again when mine runs out.

I was sent the virgin hair shampoo which is designed mainly for natural hair (i.e. un-dyed or only lightly coloured). My hair is not natural but I still have a lot of love for this shampoo. The shampoo makes up Step 2 of the regime- cleanse. It took a while to get used to the runny formula, but once I did I actually found this easier to get through my thick hair and my hair honestly has never felt so clean! At £7.99 this is more than I would usually spend on a shampoo, but a little goes a long way and for the results I’m getting currently I would say it’s worth it.
The same goes for the conditioning lotion, this is such a hydrating formula that leaves my hair feeling oh-so-soft…something that not all conditioners manage to do. As promised on the packaging, it leaves no heavy residue and it rinses out really well. This costs £8.99 and I would most likely part with my money for this again as well.

Finally we have a few finishing touches. The Clear Shine Gloss is a permanent product that lasts for up to 6 washes and helps revitalise coloured hair and give it super shine. I’ve only used this once as it is a 20 minute treatment and I am not that patient most of the time, for that reason I wouldn’t spend £14.99 on this as I don’t feel I would get the use out of it, but the results are genuinely fantastic so for anyone less lazy I 100% recommend for some serious salon effect shine.
A product from the Step 4 style range that I will be buying again is the Permanent shine spray. At £12.99 it’s a lot more than I usually spend but I am in love with this product. It protects against humidity and frizz (both hair enemies of mine) as well as protecting from damage inflicted by styling. This is heat activated so I use it on damp hair before drying and straightening and I’ve been getting so many compliments on how healthy my hair is looking- and only since I started using this so it’s not pregnancy glow!

So there we have it, a range of hair products that has left me wanting more! I genuinely wasn’t expecting to love these so much when they arrived but I am totally smitten. You can buy The Hair Boss products from the website, and it is also stocked on ASOS and Superdrug. There are a few more products I would like to try out so if and when I do I’ll report back. I think after 34 years on this earth I might have finally found a hair care range I feel worthy of staying loyal to! And whilst more than I would usually spend it’s pretty mid-range in terms of prices so not out of the question to buy again and again either.

The Humble Co

These days I think everyone is trying to take steps to be more sustainable, and whilst there are some obvious changes that can be made, there are others that had yet to occur to me, personally. Enter The Humble Co who kindly gifted a selection of their products and opened by eyes to a few more simple steps to a greener lifestyle.

The Humble Co are a health and wellness company founded by dentist Noel Abdayem in 2013. The products the company offer are all designed by dentists and designed in Sweden, meaning top quality in both innovation and design.

I’m not sure why but the idea of a bamboo toothbrush was a strange one to me- surely the bamboo would absorb water and lessen the longevity of the product? So far, I am happily proven wrong.

The Humble Brush is made from 100% biodegradable, sustainably grown bamboo and packaged in eco-friendly packaging. It works as well as, if not better than my usual plastic toothbrush, and I love the aesthetic of this as well (I was sent the PROUD edition), of which I appear to have taken a rubbish photo that doesn’t do the vibrancy justice!

There is also a plant-based version for those who don’t quite get the bamboo appeal. These are made from corn starch based materials and channel a cool monochrome vibe.

The toothpaste tabs took me a little while to get my head around but they are such a good idea when it comes to saving water, and perfect for travelling. Vegan friendly, travel approved, no water waste and approved by dentists, you simply pop one of these in your mouth and brush as usual.

Cotton swabs are an essential in our house, and I suspect even more so with baby on her way. The swabs made by The Humble Co are again made with 100% biodegradable, sustainable Bamboo and cotton with natural colouring on the ends.

I can’t find the face mask on the website to give you exact details but I can tell you this is the comfiest mask I have worn, and it is clearly going to boast good eco-credentials!

You’ll find all of these products available in the UK from stores such as Boots, Holland and Barrett and other shops with a focus on sustainability and health. Also on Amazon. The toothbrushes retail at £3.99, the cotton swabs at £2.99, the toothpaste tablets at around £6.00 and the mask is £3.99. There are plenty of other products from the brand to explore so I will report back on any I try out, and I’d love to hear what steps you are taking to be a little more sustainable.

Shop Small: Novis Pynn*

Throughout my years of blogging (and by now there have been many) I have always tried to give as much attention to small businesses that I love as much as I have any other brand or company.
The most recent independent on my radar is Novis Pynn, an jewellery shop based in Brighton that has been up and running since November 2020. They sell fashionable jewellery at affordable prices and I am all for it!

I was very kindly sent a few items from their online shop, which naturally I had to share, as well as a discount code for my readers.

The first item I picked was these sterling silver star and moon stud earrings. I love a mis-matched stud set so these instantly grabbed my attention. I’ve been so bad at remembering to change my earrings, but I loved these so much I popped them in the day they arrived (and they’ll probably be there now for the foreseeable!)

Next up we have this delicate little geometric honeycomb bracelet in silver (it also comes in gold) which was just too dainty to resist. It’s the perfect piece to wear on it’s own or to layer with other bracelets and bangles.

My final pick was this gold hummingbird pendant. Now I can’t link to this as it is currently out of stock but they are hoping to get some more in within the next month so keep your eyes on the website if you love it like I do! Most of my necklaces are silver so I had been looking for a dainty gold piece for ages just to change things up a bit. This fits the bill perfectly!

Everything came so neatly packaged and really quickly too. There is free standard delivery on UK orders which is an absolute winner and at the moment you can get a very generous 25% off your order when you use the code DAISY25 – make sure you let me know what you get in the comments, and what your favourite pieces are in general.

My New Favourite way to Layer Up*

Everyone knows by now that I’m like a magpie when it comes to jewellery. My collection is a lot more curated than it used to be, made up of more grown-up classic pieces that will never date which means I have far less of it. That doesn’t make it boring though, just an excuse to experiment and wear things in a different way. My current favourite thing to do is layer up delicate necklaces to create and entirely new look.

Necklace c/o Daisy Jewellery

At the moment my absolute favourite necklace to layer with is this beautiful chain necklace from Daisy Jewellery. It’s such a versatile piece as it can be worn alone as well as being the perfect length for layering. You can also wear it with the interlocking clasp at the front or the back depending on how simplistic you want to be on any given day.

Mostly I’ve been pairing the chain with my ruby pendant which was a gift from Bob back when we were brand new. It’s another one of my favourites for so many reasons and I wear it all the time, it can get a little bit lost at times with it being so delicate but it contrasts perfectly with the stronger chain of the Daisy Jewellery piece.

I’m thinking that my next purchase needs to be a choker style silver chain so that I can triple layer this look…I need to make the most of it whilst I can- I think that once the baby is here necklace wearing will be a temporary thing of the past until little grabby hands can be trusted!

Anyone else a layering fan? Where are some of your favourite places to shop for classic pieces?