The Art Of Giving

A quid made priceless

A super-quick post here tonight for anyone with kids and access to a Poundland or similar. I stock up on these absolute bargain £1 canvases when I see them in store, usually four or five at a time, for BB to unleash his creative eye and Tesco paints on. They make awesome gifts (think Father's day) or the perfect alternative to a Thank You card. Surely there aren't many people (except those with black empty hearts) who wouldn't want to receive an adorable piece of hand-crafted artwork? This teapot with two handles - which started out as a hotel in the Caribbean (say wuh????) - has pride of place on my desk and reminds me that my son is a crazy, cool kid and I love him. 

Hannahx

Swatched - Maybelline Color Show Nails Polka Dot

One of the cheapest thrills I get these days is picking up a new nail varnish or a posh coffee. I'm not big into lipstick, eyeshadows or shoes but I do like the fact that you can bring fancy to your fingertips without breaking the bank; I'm building up quite a collection. 

I bought these Maybelline Color Show Nails Polka Dot in a 3 for two deal at Superdrug. They retail at £2.99 each. Left to right we have Shooting Stars, Chalk Dust and Speckled Pink.

Whilst Shooting Stars (the blue shade) registers as looking fabulous on camera this was the hardest of the three to work with. The gel base reminds me of inky food colouring and I found it difficult to get the polish coverage and placement of the polka dots suspended within it even. There was a lot of dabbing going on, it took an age to dry and, when it did, dried fairly lumpy. I'm definitely going to try this over my favourite navy Chanel lacquer to see if it works better as a top coat.

Chalk Dust (black and white dots) was another matter entirely. This applied very easily and I just loved the speckled effect building it up to full-coverage dotty madness. I think it would look fantastic used with a lighter hand over a bright base coat (like a peppermint green) or to give a nude nail more edge.

The Speckled Pink reminded me of painted Easter eggs, again applied well but has a slightly creamier, less transparent base colour so the polka dots appear less prominent. I probably wouldn't wear ten digits worth of this shade because despite my penchant for glitter and girly things I'm no longer a major fan of pink. As an accent nail? Yes, absolutely.

I didn't apply a top coat because I like the matt, slightly gritty effect but if it sets your teeth on edge you could easily seal it in with something clear over the top. All you'll get is more shine and intensity I would think.

Overall, I was seriously impressed by the effects achieved by all three but Chalk Dust wins hands down. I wear my nails bare, neat and tidy for reflexology treatments so really enjoyed seeing them looking dressed-up and less boyish. These are limited edition shades so snap up a bottle soon (£2.99!! what a snip) to avoid disappointment. #NailLove   

Time For Tea

At the weekend BB returned from an afternoon out with gifts of flowers and a Hotel Chocolat bag; nice work for a four-year-old. I hauled him onto my lap for a cuddle (no mean feat these days) and he said 'mummy, I will love you a million kabillion days. Get me the iPad. I want Angry Birds.................. please.' 

As he tapped in my password (MY PASSWORD) I delved into the bag. Pink champagne truffles, what's not to love, and a small slab of Earl Grey and Lemon chocolate. As a dedicated Earl Grey drinker who likes nothing better than dipping chocolate into her brew this looked promising, very promising. I saved it to scoff whilst watching BGT. Oh yes, that's how I roll.

The milk chocolate stripes definitely taste of Earl Grey tea though I would have liked more punch, but then my kidneys are stewed in the stuff. The lemon stripes were delicious with crunchy lemon infused granules pushing the flavour towards super-tangy lemon curd. 

All in all it went down well, as they say. Or at least half of it did being a little sickly for noshing in one sitting. If you like your choccy straight up then you might not enjoy this but, if you fancy a break from the norm, it's definitely worth a diversion. 

Hotel Chocolat Earl Grey & Lemon 35g Slab is £2.25

Long Time No See

It has been ages since I last posted and I could go into the whys and wherefores but I won't. Life has felt truly ugly and my appreciation of pretty things? Umm, minimal. 

Print: Amanda Catherine Designs approx £10 (frame not included)

But I'm back (or at least I think I am) and having refreshed my blog surroundings I'm hoping a change is as good as a rest. I've done a lot of personal cheerleading in recent times, trying to find motivation and meaning but I think this rather fantastic print from Amanda Catherine Designs is me to a tee. The style part may have slipped somewhat but gumption? Hell yes! And talking of infernos, to quote the late great Winston Churchill, "if you're going through hell, keep going." x

Picture-perfect Crayons

Crayon art: cool, contemporary and colourful!

Back in the Summer BB and I had a bash at making homemade crayon discs and these were the rather artistic - if I do say so myself - results!  BB helped shell the paper wrappers and break up his old, worn-down crayons and I took charge of the 'grown-up' part of the project when he was safely at nursery; and I could hear myself think.

I followed this tutorial but used the wells of a mini silicone muffin tray as a mould instead of muffin cases. The swirls were a last minute brainwave after the tray had been removed from the oven, created with a wooden skewer.

The end result is a crayon that, to be fair, isn't the easiest to draw with but does tick all the boxes on artsy appeal. These are BB's favourite's from the batch because, he says, 'they look like planets.'  

Crayon craft: to infinity and beyond

* Wax - including wax crayons - reaches a flammable flashpoint at certain temperatures. When melting crayons use a low heat, monitor closely and do not leave unattended. 

P.S: This amazing digital frame is free to download for non-commercial use from Shabby Blogs. I followed Megan's brilliant tutorial on customising a blog header and used the same principles to layer my images within the frame using Fotoflexer. It was easy and it worked!

Turning A New Leaf

Here we are again approaching Winter, my absolute favourite time of the year. I was born just past midnight on an icy November morning and do believe (well, almost), that somewhere within my DNA is a cold-comfort gene code curled up cosily, nose tucked into its tail, softly snoring. Where some people find the dark nights and dawns relentlessly deflating I love the clear, crisp days peculiar to the season. Even the dreary rain-soaked ones do good things for my mood. Winter just makes me happy. Weird, huh?

The seasons changing also provide a natural pause for reflection, which brings me neatly to this blog and where it's now headed. Lately I haven't had time - or more honestly made the time - to update posts. If I'm truthful it's because things have changed (I've changed damn it! *bangs a fist on the table*) since I started Mama Loves Pretty. Which all sounds very dramatic and late-30-something crisis-y but is, in actual fact, just an acknowledgement that there are other things I'd like to bring to my life and blog. 

This mama still loves pretty things so there will continue to be beauty reviews - you can't kick a hardcore product habit overnight - but I'll also be posting on other subjects that pique my interest and hopefully yours, too. Look out for complementary therapy news, vintage collectibles, style snippets, well-being, kids stuff and - get this - crafting! x

Lovea - Natural Sun Care For Kids

Wow, I can't believe that a MONTH has flown past since I last updated my blog. Shesh.

What can I say in my defence? A run of illness, a stint of solely manning the parenting fort and the seed of a business idea, demanding eyeball-burning nights of research, has meant that this little blog has sadly been sidelined. But I'm back, willing and able with a post touching on the issue of children's sun care. 

Lovea kids: fragrance, silicone and
paraben-free mineral sun care

Before BB was born I had it fixed in my mind that the only thing applied to his beautiful skin would be a 100% organic product, until said 100% organic product (with lavender oil) caused a nasty reaction that only aqueous cream could finally take the sting out of. Hmm. 

To date we have muddled along with a half-and-half approach. I use natural or organic paraben-free shampoos as he's still prone to patches of eczema on his face but, where sunscreen is concerned, I have at times resorted to easy, off-the-shelf buys after finding it difficult to source a non-chemical alternative with a decent SPF rating.

So, when we were asked if we'd like to trial Lovea Kids SPF30 Natural Sunscreen Spray we jumped at the chance and then waited (several weeks) for the rain to stop and the sun to shine. 

But why choose a natural or organic sunscreen for your kids? Well, they tend to fall into the barrier sunscreen camp, using mineral filters like zinc oxide and titanium oxide to reflect UVA/UVB rays rather than a chemical cocktail sunscreen which absorbs rays. It is this questionable absorption into the skin that has raised concern surrounding potential carcinogenic toxicity and prompted call for a review of ingredients. 

Protecting my sunshine from too much sunshine

Specifically, oxybenzone - a chemical commonly used in ray-absorption sunscreens - has been described as a 'hormone-disruptor' with research in animals revealing some estrogenic activity. This link, it should be pointed out, hasn't been proven in humans. However, a 2008 U.S study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention did conclude that 96.8% of participants urine samples contained oxybenzone, supporting the fact that it is capable of entering the blood stream.

Happily, Lovea Kids is a mineral sunscreen without fragrance, silicones or parabens. Although it's certified organic, as a French product - the top selling organic sunscreen in France no less - the certification comes via EcoCert which requires a lower percentage of ingredients of organic origin than the UK's Soil Association certification. Therefore, 10.9% of ingredients are organic with 98.9% being of natural origin.

Pro's: We found this sunscreen applies without slithery greasiness but, as a sun-conscious mum, I like the fact that there's still enough residue left behind to be able to feel where it has covered. For a mineral formulation - notorious for making the skin appear ghostly - Lovea leaves only the merest hint of white on initial application. On a glaringly bright, hot day in the park it protected my son's skin perfectly causing no sensitivity or heat rash. 

Scooter fun in the sun :)

Con's: Although the bottle is described as a spray the action is definitely that of a pump. Psychologically, this takes a bit of getting used because you're expecting the delivery system to work in a way that it doesn't; however it does mean a controlled dose with no splatter-factor. Because of this, children who are keen to apply their own sunscreen might find it difficult to decant and it also takes a little bit more time to rub in than a non-mineral sunscreen -  but really not that much. 

As debate rumbles on about the safety of oxybenzone - not only in suncare but also as an additive in beauty products - skipping it in your child's sunscreen (and your own) with an effective alternative could be wise. I know it's got me thinking.

Lovea Kids SPF30 Natural Sunscreen Spray is £12.99 for 125mls and available at My Pure.