Mac Haul - Tendertone Lip Balms

When I first started watching beauty related Youtube videos almost 3 years ago, I remember gurus mentioning Mac Tendertones and how great they were.  They are a lip conditioner that combines the look of a gloss and the conditioning benefits of a balm with SPF 12 sun protection. It also has a really lovely strawberry-kiwi flavour.  Over the last two summers I have been paying attention to the Mac collections in hope that they would once again be re-released.  I was so excited to find out that this year they were to be re-promoted in the Cook Mac collection (currently out now). There's four different lip balms within the collection and there was two that I really wanted to get - Tread Gently and Hush Hush.

The day after they had been released I went to my nearest Mac counter.  I should have known better really as when I arrived (as soon as the store had opened) I was told that they had already sold out of all of them.  I could have kicked myself as I knew that they would be popular as they hadn't been released in over two years and they are limited edition, but I was still surprised that all of them had sold out on the first day.

During a quick coffee break I checked their website on my phone as the shop assistant had told me I could still get them on-line.  One again I was disappointed to see that they had all sold out except for Purring (the orange one) which I didn't really want to get (but now wish I had).  I thought I would try the mail order number, just in case they still had some and luckily for me they did.

I wasn't able to get Hush Hush which was the one I wanted the most out of all of them.  But I was able to get Tread Gently and Hot 'n' Saucy, so overall I was really pleased.

The packaging is cute and consists of a pink and white check pattern. This is the outer sleeve only as inside it is just a white box.

The lip balms are in similar containers to Mac's Paint Pots with a screw top lid.  The glass container is also see-through so you can see how much product you have left and they are small enough to carry around with you.

Tread Gently is a soft lime green with yellow pearl and gives a lovely sheer gloss to the lips.

Hot 'n' Saucy is a soft cherry red and is the only Tendertone that gives a more pigmented look to the lips - perfect for adding a wash of colour for a quick pick me up without needing a mirror.

Do you like Tendertones or have you had difficulty in finding them?  I really like some of the Mac collections, but it is frustrating when so many are limited edition.  Then again, I guess that's partly the desire, as the products are more exclusive.

Clothing/Shoe Haul for Olivia

I can't believe how fast Olivia is growing, soon she will be out of her 0-3 months clothes and will be in her 3-6 month ones.  I was really lucky to have a girl as my sister (who has two girls) gave me lots of baby clothes so a part from a few items, I didn't have to buy a lot.  Before Olivia was born I went through all the clothes I was given and I divided them into ages and separated them into different boxes (this also kept me busy whilst I was on maternity leave).  There was enough clothes to fill three large plastic boxes which was amazing.  Recently I had forgotten what I had been given so I went through all the boxes and completed a checklist (like an inventory) of everything I had been given so that I knew how many dresses, trousers etc I had and what I still needed to get.

One thing you need to know is that all the following items (except one) were bought from Next.  I adore the children's clothes from Next and I often buy clothes for work from there too.  The clothes always wash really well and they last which is really important to me.  There might be other shops that you could buy cheaper clothes from but I don't think that the prices are extortionate and you can often pick up some brilliant bargains in their sales (which they always seem to have).

One thing that I didn't have was shoes.  I know you have to be careful about what you put on babies feet as they can damage the development of them but this is more important once they start walking.  I had bought lots of socks and had been given a couple of pairs of booties but it has been driving me mad that as soon as you put them on, Olivia manages to take them off.  I wanted a pair of soft pram shoes that would prevent socks from coming off and would stay on her feet.  This is what I found and I am over the moon.



Pram Shoes by Next £8.50

I think these shoes are so adorable.  They are made of soft leather with a soft padded bottom for the foot.  They have a strap which is attached by velcro which means that they are easy to put on as well as staying secure on the foot (no more losing booties - hooray!)  I decided to get two pairs as I thought the white would go with most outfits and I have quite a few pink outfits that the pink ones would go with also.  They are also so cute that I just couldn't help myself.  These are in 3-6 months but they also do them in sizes up to 18 months, and I thought they were quite reasonably priced.

Currently Olivia has been wearing a lot of leggings and tops which have proven to be extremely practical for during the day (as well as for changing her bottom in emergencies) and so I wanted to find some in the next size up.  The following pictures show two outfits (purchased as sets) which are both coral/pink and consist of leggings with a longer top and I thought they were both really pretty.  Olivia was also born with a lot of hair, which has been growing rapidly (she may need a haircut very soon) and I was able to buy matching hairbands which are fastened with velcro to wear with these outfits.

Two Piece Jersey Set £12 

Two Piece Jersey Set £12

Jersey Hairbands Two Pack £4.50

The following outfit is one that you don't need to wear a pair of shoes with and that's because the leggings have feet attached.  I really like pastel clothes and Mamas and Papas always seem to have a good range.  I thought this was a really pretty outfit and although the clothes are slightly more expensive than Nexts, they are still quite reasonable.



2 Piece Jersey Set - Approx £22

 The next dress was part of the Winter collection from Next so I'm not sure if you can get it any more but I thought it would be perfect for Sunday lunches out etc.  The dress is a corduroy material so it is quite warm, which is perfect for the cold weather we are having at the moment.  It also came with a long sleeve vest which is great as it means it can be mixed with other dresses and not just this one.

Cord Dress by Next Originally £18

Something that I don't think you can have enough of and that are sleep-suits or baby-grows.  Whatever you prefer to call them.  I already had a few of these (some which my sister gave me and a couple given as gifts) but I wanted to get some more.  Most places offer sets and I thought this pack of three suits were adorable.  Nexts current collection seems to consist of quite a lot of pinks/coral/orange colours which I happen to quite like but I know it's not for everyone.

Cat Sleepsuits Three Pack £14-£15

The final item that I bought was this dress from Next.  I bought it in the size 6-9 months as I thought it would be lovely for Olivia during the Summer months as it is a light weight cotton.  Plus it can be paired with a white cardigan if it slightly cooler.  

Dress by Next £12

I am always on the look out for things for Olivia and I know that when the sales next come round I'll be buying a few things that she can wear for this time next year so that I can start stocking up on the basics.

As children grow out of clothing and shoes so quickly I know that it is important to not get carried away with buying everything I see but perhaps I can get just a few things - just don't tell the hubby!

If you would like to see more posts about hauls for Olivia, then please subscribe!

Finally a new phone - Introducing the iPhone 4S

I've had my current phone (iPhone 3GS which I love) ever since it was released in the UK in 2009.  To be honest I didn't really need a new phone as mine still looked brand new (I always ensured that it was kept in a case when I had it in my bag), and my phone had the latest software from updating it with itunes.  Did I really need a new one?  Probably not, although there's now was two small cracks appearing at the base of the phone where you put the charger in, plus I was able to get an upgrade so why not.

On phoning O2 I was told that I would have to pay £100 for the latest iPhone 4S (a price that I was not willing to pay).  I knew I could get the phone free for the same amount I am currently paying so I said those all important words "I'd like to cancel my contract".  I quickly got transferred to a young guy (in fact I have no idea how old he was, he just sounded young and unfortunately I can't remember his name) who asked why I wanted to leave.  I said that the sales team had said that I would have to pay for the phone to upgrade and I knew I could get it free else where (or words to that effect) and he simply replied "let me see what I can do...I have more flexibility with what we can offer".  The guy certainly did, as within minutes I had agreed to a new contract staying with them for 24 months (paying the same that I am right now) and obtaining the phone I wanted for free - Woo hoo!  I probably could have paid less each month or had a shorter contract, but to be honest I was more than happy with the arrangement. 

I was told the phone would be delivered within 2-3 working days.  So imagine my surprise when less than 24 hours later the phone arrived on my door step. Huge happy face :)

Now I know everyone has probably seen this phone plenty of times and perhaps you even have it, but just in case here's mine. 

The phone was easy to install.  I just connected it to my existing itunes and synced all the data.  I haven't played around with all the new features just yet but I currently am loving the Sky Go app which allows me to watch movies and sport on my phone and the new camera allows me to take even better quality photos of Olivia which for me is really important as she seems to be growing up so quickly that I want to capture every moment.  iCloud is also a great feature as it allows you to back up all the information of your phone as well as syncing it to your computer via wifi - very handy.

I should also state that over the last three years O2 have been great and I have never experienced any problems with them.  That isn't to say that you won't, just that so far they have been very good for me.

As a treat, I bought myself a new case for my phone (plus my previous case was rather dirty).  I looked at so many different ones on line and to start with I considered buying a hard case, but to be honest I really liked my old case which was a pouch.  I saw the following one in the Cath Kidston store in Bluewater and I couldn't resist it, I thought it was so cute.  It is made of oil cloth so it can easily be wiped down if it gets dirty.  They do different prints but I chose the Victoria Rose phone case which was £15 (must cheaper than other phone cases I had seen which were about £25).  I also liked the strap (which is used to remove the phone) as it fastens over the top of your phone with velcro, so it can't come out.

What phone do you currently have?  It seems to be that you are either a Blackberry fan or an iPhone fan.  What are you?  It is quite clear that I am an iPhone fan and I can't see myself changing any time soon.