Little Butterfly London review (for pregnancy and baby!)

*This post contains PR samples

When I was pregnant I tested multiple different belly balms, creams and oils for my stretch marks and this is how I discovered Little Butterfly London. I've been testing more products from their range since just before I had Summer, and I have to say I'm completely enamoured.

All of the Little Butterfly London products are cruelty free, and they are planning to change all of their products to vegan by the end of the year. In terms of packaging, the Little Butterfly London range is certified by Ecocert, so all of the packaging is fully recyclable. The cardboard is made from sustainable sources and the bottle caps are made from wood to reduce plastic waste.  The only thing that is plastic is the small waterproof disc which is in the cap to prevent leakage. This is important to me when choosing cosmetics as choosing good quality, ethical products is important to me but I don't want the planet to pay a high price for these.

During my pregnancy, I used the "Fall Into Dreams" Mother and Baby Massage Oil at least once daily. The texture of this oil is beautiful and it spreads easily (I found some oils I tried didn't rub in well and it felt like I had to use so much product per application - this went a lot further, which I appreciated because it's gorgeous.) It smells absolutely delicious, like oranges, and kept my skin feeling really smooth and supple - this was no mean feat considering I carried VERY big this pregnancy and had a 9lb 9oz baby. During my pregnancy I also used this oil with Eden for some bonding time - in the evenings I'd use it on her after her bath and do a little bit of massage while we spoke about things including about what would happen when the baby was being born. This really helped prepare her for our separation during my labour in such a calming and soothing way, which in turn helped to reduce my own stress around the subject.

Due to Summer's skin sensitivities, very soon after she was born I realised I had to really strip back on any products that I used on myself, laundry, and of course on her, and introduce anything new really cautiously. This was tricky as not only was she a rashy baby, she was also a baby with very dry, almost scaly skin, which meant that I instinctively wanted to use oils on her. Particularly as she's grown and developed a little bit of cradle cap (super normal!) I've wanted to oil her scalp, and I've found she doesn't react with this oil which I'm SO thrilled about because I absolutely adore the scent and it gives me such a visceral memory of my pregnancy.

The Little Butterfly London "Cocoon of Bliss" Stretch Mark Butter won first prize in the Green Parent Natural Beauty Awards which made me want to give it a try. This cream contains bio-actives, essential fatty acids and skin-replenishing vitamins, and is certified organic. I found this butter really nourishing and soothing on my itchy bump. I am aware that stretch marks cannot be avoided solely by using topical treatments like oils or creams - there are many other factors that will determine the likelihood of getting them, including genetics, staying hydrated, etc. However I do think that keeping the skin as moisturised as possible reduces itching and stress on the skin from it stretching so quickly. This surely reduces the chance of getting any extra, avoidable stretch marks - how the skin copes at the deeper layers is out of our control however. I actually didn't get any stretch marks on my tummy again during this pregnancy and I do believe that keeping my skin well hydrated was a contributing factor to this. I used this cream towards the end of my pregnancy, by which time I really was carrying enormously, and while it felt lovely on it's own I really liked to apply this after the oil - it felt like it really locked moisture into the skin this way and kept my bump feeling smooth and beautiful. The cream is thick and the smell is unusual - honestly, at first I wasn't even sure whether I liked it - but it was worth it to really provide nourishment to my bump, my skin really deserved a cream of that richness as it was stretching so far to accommodate our baby.

The Dewdrops at Dawn Body Lotion is another product with a soft, gentle scent - it is, like all of the Little Butterfly London products, innately calming. It's a rich lotion which I've used not only on Eden, for after bath massage, but on myself to try and soothe redness on my arms from keratosis pilaris. It feels thick and luxurious on the skin, but rubs in easily. This won a gold award in the Green Parent Natural Beauty Awards and it's not hard to see why - this contains cucumber seed oil, nourishing cocoa butter and calming aloe vera, plus papaya, peach and apricot oils, to add antioxidants, moisture, soothe, and relieve redness. This is truly lovely and is both relaxing and nourishing, Eden now often runs to me after her bath with this tube and asks me for her "massage" which has been a lovely thing to incorporate into her routine.

Perhaps the last thing I found our groove with was the Little Butterfly London Wrapped In Love Calming Anti-Pollution Baby Face Cream. This has been formulated to protect little people's skin and act as a barrier against environmental pollutants. It's made from completely natural, organic ingredients, and is great for calming and soothing irritated skin. It can help calm specific skin complaints including eczema, dribble rashes and dry skin. I was even told that some adults choose to use this cream on their own skin flare ups. Although I'm careful with what we use on our toddler's skin she's never been overly sensitive, so having a new little one so prone to flare ups has been a real learning curve. I now tend to get nervous to try any products to calm her young skin in case it has the opposite effect and makes the problem worse, but actually I've found this cream is fine for her and does help to alleviate any dryness or redness if she's had a reaction to something. I've also been using this around Eden's mouth as she's had some redness and soreness from cold weather, and it's healed it really quickly.

Overall I'm so thrilled with these products - they really are such luxury, beautiful items and they've made pregnancy and postpartum bodycare a really dreamy, enjoyable experience with their rich textures and gentle but blissful scents.

Have you tried Little Butterfly London products? Which of these appeals most to you?

Welcome Summer

In mid-August we welcomed our second daughter, Summer Daisy, into the world. It was a long labour but I used hypnobirthing to stay calm and focused throughout which was invaluable, and I got my VBAC which I'm so thrilled about as it meant my recovery was so much smoother and made our transition to a family of four that much easier. I have been trying to jot down my birth story when I can as I'd love to have it written down so I can remember it forever - I'll be posting it here whenever I get the chance! As for blogging, I've definitely been taking a longer maternity leave than intended, largely because I have my hands very full with two littles, but I have lots of posts in the works - again for whenever I get the chance!

Most of all I feel very lucky and blessed to have two such wonderful girls in my life, and such an incredible and supportive fiance. In fact, now baby's here maybe we can start planning a wedding too! I'm sure we'll have plenty of time for that now, right?!

See you soon! x

Sleepgoddess Shower Mists + Luxury Scrunchies

*This post contains PR samples.

I'll be honest - at 37 weeks pregnant, sleep is a sensitive subject for me right now. I'm uncomfortable with all the extra weight of pregnancy and sleeping in certain positions, I'm still regularly co-sleeping with our toddler (don't ask how it's going to work when baby arrives), and our household has just been struck down with colds (yes, in July.) I need all the help I can get when it comes to sleep because I'm exhausted now, and with an imminent newborn arrival I'm not sure it's going to get better anytime soon!

Enter Sleepgoddess: their products are vegan, cruelty-free and British-made, making them a go-to for ethical beauty sleep purchases. I was immediately intrigued by their faux-silk pillow case covers (SUCH a smart design, not to mention that it's so hard to find hair-friendly pillowcases that are vegan!) from a beauty perspective but they have so much else to offer...

IDentity Lingerie

Paid partnership with IDentity Lingerie

IDentity Lingerie is a small, family run, handmade lingerie UK based brand. Specialising in nightwear as well as lingerie, they also recently branched out into face masks due to the pandemic from their base in Lincolnshire.

IDentity have some core brand values which I applaud, including promotion healthy and diverse body image across their platforms. Their items are high quality and handmade, often to order, meaning they aren't contributing to the environmental impact of mass produced items like other larger brands. Items that aren't sold are refurbished into different products so as to avoid the cycle of waste from having too much excess stock. They aim to make products that will remain relevant and therefore serve people for years to come, rather than being trend led which is a brilliant way to avoid the waste issues caused by fast fashion and fast-changing trends.

Lyonsleaf Giveaway + Discount Code!

*This post contains PR samples/affiliate links

It's Plastic Free July, so what better way to celebrate than hosting a giveaway with one of my favourite low-waste brands, the wonderful Lyonsleaf?

The lovely folk over at Lyonsleaf and I are giving away a Mum & Baby Skincare Survival kit, perfectly timed as my little one is due a month today! The kit contains Beauty Balm, and two types of natural nappy cream (I've reviewed both of these on my blog previously, see links.) It also contains a cleansing cloth which Mama can use with the Beauty Balm (this product contains essential oils to give it its delicious fragrance, so not one to share with baby.) But none of these products are a one-trick pony: the Calendula and Marshmallow Balm has received many accolades when used as a nipple cream which I wish I'd known about last time, whilst the Beauty Balm can double up as cleanser, moisturiser and even primer. Knowing that I can trust these products for their versatility and reliability, this kit has gone straight into my birth bag. If that all sounds good and you'd like to win a set yourself, details on how to enter the giveaway are at the bottom of this post!