My beauty favourites at the moment

Since I had a baby my skin has definitely been different. It used to be oily all the time but now it is a bit of both. I cannot use thick, indulgent face creams as they are too heavy and clog up my face. I had been using Liz Earle before Charlie and then I was in Boots one day and wanted a cheapie one to tide me over for a bit. I found one from the Soap and Glory range which said it highlighted 'youth.' Sold it to me on that one! It was actually really good and it worked for my skin. However when I went to replace it, I couldn't find it on the shelves any more. I was really disappointed and so had to start looking around for another one. Once again, I didn't want a really expensive one as sometimes I use them for a few weeks and then have to change anyway as they don't suit y skin. Boots had an offer on their Botanics range and I picked up the 'Shine Away' Day cream and Night cream. I have to be honest, I am not keen on the smell, but as the product description says, it does banish shine and leaves a matte finish. I have found that by lunch time the skin around my nose can be a bit oily, but I have only been using it for a week or so, so I will see how it goes. It definitely seems to take the shine away though.

I kept reading about the Nivea in shower body moisturiser and I keep thinking 'what a swizz.' I had little faith in the product being any use at all, especially as a moisturiser. Oh how wrong I was. Again, it actually does what it says on the tin! It leaves your skin feeling as though you have applied moisturiser. However, the downsides are that if you don't rinse well, I feel like it 'sits' on my skin and feels a bit clammy. It also says to use your normal body wash first. Hmmm, I am trying to save time here and that doesn't feel like I am doing. I don't do that bit anyway. I just slather it on anyway.  I didn't realise, but they also do a version for dry skin. I wish I had got that one, so I am going to try that when this one runs out.

Since having Charlie I have had awful skin on my hands. It started out like a bit of eczema just on one finger. Then it spread. It starts with little blister like bubbles which can pop and then the skin starts to split and bleed and becomes really dry and then flakes away. It got that bad that I went to the doctor about it as I have never had anything like this before. He called it something like 'popplits' or something and prescribed some steroid cream. But the cream says to still use an emollient. So I popped to the chemist one day to ask what they recommended for very, very dry skin besides E45 as that hadn't touched it. The pharmacist recommended something called 'Lotil' which I had never heard of. She couldn't find any and it took her ages and she had to go rooting upstairs but eventually handed me a tube of cream for which she asked the sum of 15p for! Yes 15p! She didn't know why either but she was happy to sell it to me for that. I used it every day and it really helped and if I miss a day, I certainly feel and see the difference immediately. I went back to get some more and this time asked for a tub and it came to £5.81! A bit odd, think Lloyds pharmacy have some pricing issues going on there. But anyway, it's worth paying that for as it is so good and is, so far, the only thing to help my poor hands. I've noticed that the more I wash my hands and get them wet the worse it gets. Cleaning products start peeling my skin away immediately, it's horrendous. I have had to start using rubber gloves to wash up and to clean up with. I need some dry soap - is that even a product yet? It should be.

As a new mum, who recently went back to work, I have developed big black circles under my eyes. Charlie's sleep pattern is still all over the place and I talked on here a while back about how we had done sleep training with him. Well, he still goes to bed as normal but can wake 2-3 times a night still. Therefore my eyes are not looking the best. The only concealer I have found to make any difference and actually last all day is Benefit's Erase Paste. It really is magical stuff and it is strong enough to take being rubbed into the skin (gently). Unlike some which start to rub off onto your finger tips even as you're still applying it!

The final product I am loving is Maybelline's Colour Show nail varnish. Dead cheap, but goes on like a dream and stays on for a few days. I love the deep purply colours and wine colours they have. I started wearing them at the start of Autumn as they are definitely a colour for the season.

I feel like, now I am a mum, and supposed to be a bit more grown up, that I need to be a bit more mature when it comes to my skin and start to look after it a bit more. I am (argh) 30 not long after Christmas and my skin is no longer fit and healthy and 20 years old. It needs some TLC and it needs looking after. I think skincare will definitely be a New Year's resolution for me!

I am now on the look out for a really good body scrub; a hair mask for dry and damaged hair and some fabulous rubber gloves to protect my hands from water!

Any products you recommend?