Hello,

(Very) long time no speak!! I've really neglected my website and blog since falling pregnant this time last year. I felt very sick for the first trimester and started working full time in my role at Lush, and I let everything that encompassed the Pampervan fall by the wayside, as it was the one thing I could let slip when everything was getting too much. I slowed down on mobile treatments, focussed on getting the Pamper Cabin ready (will post about that soon) and, most importantly, allowed myself some time to relax before baby no. 2 arrived.

I found maternity leave quite hard first time round; we had just moved to Bournemouth and despite making some new, wonderful 'mum friends' and having my in-laws about 10 miles away, I really missed having my family and old friends around me. What made it especially hard was having my lovely Dad working in the Middle East for years and three of my bestest friends living on the other side of the world in Australia. My support network seemed limited and I had more time to miss and grieve for my Mum, who we had lost two years prior. I often felt quite lonely and lost with a newborn baby and the lack of sleep really affected me. I had no job to return to and felt worried about the future. Of course there were many highs, but there were some terible lows (and I'm particularly good at focussing on them!). I found solace on the beach, which we were lucky to have on our doorstep at that point, and I sought counselling, which really helped. I came out the other side feeling strong and proud of myself.

I was therefore slightly hesitant with having a second child and had a mix of emotions regarding a second maternity leave. I am so fortunate this time to have a job and an incredibly understanding boss. I was looking forward to spending more time with my, now, three year old daughter and looking after a newborn with the knowledge, confidence and understanding of motherhood and how quickly time passes. I had an incredible natural birth, a pretty good recovery and fell more in love with my newborn son than I could have ever anticipated. In fact, I was completely blindsided by the rush of love.

The funny thing with having a baby, especially your second, and particularly around this stage (he's nearly 5 months old), is that people assume you're an old hat at this and don't need the support you perhaps needed in the early days - hey, you think it yourself!! I'm not very good at asking for help in general and feel bad for relying on other people. I feel perpetually guilty that I'm not doing a good enough job, or that there's thousands of people who would die to be in my position. Throw in breastfeeding, sleepless nights and no chance to nap in the day, hair falling out at quite an alarming rate, a spirited threenager and a baby who's sleep has gone to pot...and, once again, it feels quite all-consuming, despite having a better support network this time. Babies are hard work, whether it's your first or fourth!!

​My body's the hairiest it's ever been; my back aches from post-op, breastfeeding and holding a baby; and I've forgotten what's in my makeup bag! But today I managed to paint my nails and I feel like a new woman!!

But in all honesty, I've never felt more beautiful! I've created a human being, and a funny and pretty one at that! I mean look at those eyelashes - swooooon!! !<3​

​My teacher, Sandi, was amazing! She has helped develop the Mexican strand of the business, as she was brought up in Mexico City, and has even translated all of the teaching material. Coincidentally we are both at the same stage of pregnancy, so we spent the whole weekend chatting about our bumps, as well as learning the ins and outs of providing baby massage classes to parents and babies. My favourite part of the whole weekend was observing a real-life baby massage class which she ran; lots of happy, little babies! It was a little bit adorable!
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To complete my accreditation I have to complete a case study and receive feedback, so I will be soon looking at running a FREE 4-5 week group session for parents and babies in or around the Bournemouth area! Each week covers a new part of the baby's body and provides a great opportunity to meet new people. ​Keep an eye on my facebook page and please help spread the word to anyone with a young baby. Remember it's suitable from a few weeks old to when they start wriggling and crawling away!
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I don't know about you but I find most hair removal solutions quite short-term and frustrating. I try to be good and grow my hair ready for it to be waxed every month, but I either get caught out (cue the Impulse advert) by the sun suddenly shining or me wanting to go swimming and end up reaching for the razor and regretting it the next day when the stubble appears. Worse still, I triumphantly last till I get a wax then have to deal with ingrowing hairs and bumps because I forget to regularly exfoliate. I yearn for a smooth, silky body but it just isn't so! It's an ongoing battle and one, I imagine, most girls can relate to...

This week, however, I was lucky enough to take part in a day's training in IPL (Intense Pulsed Light) at work, and I'm going to be training in electrolysis at college in the next few months.

I offered to have my underarms practised with IPL yesterday and I'm converted! I'm now planning to continue treatments on my underarms and be hair-free by my wedding next year!! The training was provided by the Lynton Clinic, which was set up in Manchester over 15 years ago providing world-class aesthetic solutions, such as laser hair removal to tattoo removal to pigment and red vein removal. 

We were trained in IPL hair removal (face and body - it works wherever there is hair) and vascular removal, such as thread veins, rosacea, sun damage and port wine stains. IPL can do much more, such as skin rejuvenation and anti-ageing, but I will mainly be using it for hair removal.

IPL provides a long-term solution to unwanted or excess hair for women and men and is suitable for most parts of the face and body. Dark hair can be treated most easily as it has a high concentration of melanin (pigment) which is targeted using heat and ultimately destroyed, so sadly people with grey, white, blonde and red hair would struggle to be treated. Think of it like black clothing, it absorbs heat whereas white clothing reflects it - it works the same way with hair. 

Both therapist and client needs to wear protective glasses to protect eyes from the laser beam, which is quite funny!

Treatment sensation varies depending on your own pain threshold, the the time of the month, any medication you are on, etc, but is often described as a ‘flick of an elastic band’.  No anaesthetic is required and most clients describe the discomfort as moderate and tolerable. The therapist will always carry out a patch test if a higher frequency is required and will ask you how much it hurts between 0-10 (10 being unbearable!). Personally speaking, I found it ok! It stings for a second but you instantly forget it.

Only hair that is actively growing is affected, therefore multiple treatments are needed. Treatments are conducted every 4 to 8 weeks depending on the area being treated, until a good result is seen.  The number of treatments varies, although typically 6 treatments or more are needed for optimum results. So for my underarms we're looking at about 6+ months - but possibly a lifetime of being hair free!!

Light is absorbed by the melanin (the pigment in the hair follicle).  The light energy heats the pigment and effectively destroys the cells in the hair follicle which are responsible for hair growth, without damaging the surrounding cell. The IPL device is placed on the skin and a short pulse of light is released, which targets many follicles simultaneously.  The applicator is then moved to the neighbouring area of the skin and the process is repeated until the entire area is covered. For IPL treatments, a thin layer of gel is applied to the skin to help guide the light and protect the skin.

The hair follicles are damaged by the heat but the hairs remain in the follicles.  The dead hairs shed after 1 to 3 weeks as the epidermis renews.  During this period the hairs will seem to grow as they are pushed out by the new epidermis.

The skin may be red immediately after treatment and the hair follicles may be swollen and raised but this usually subsides within a few hours. Adverse reactions are rare but may include a small blister or temporary lightening or darkening of the skin.

Treatments can take as little as 10 mins and up to 90 mins, depending upon the size of area being treated (underarms will only take about 15 mins per session). This therefore affects the price so you'll be looking at approx. £40 per session for upper lip up to £295 per session for full leg and standard bikini line.

Swedish Body Massage

Massage therapists use long smooth strokes, kneading, and circular movements on superficial layers of muscle using massage lotion or oil. Swedish massage therapy can be very gentle and relaxing. If you've never had massage before, this is a good one to try first. 

Aromatherapy Massage

Aromatherapy massage is massage therapy with the addition of one or more scented plant oils called essential oils to address specific needs.
The massage therapist can select oils that are relaxing, energizing, stress-reducing, balancing, etc.

Deep tissue Massage

Deep tissue massage targets the deeper layers of muscle and connective tissue. The massage therapist uses slower strokes or friction techniques across the grain of the muscle. Deep tissue massage is used for chronically tight or painful muscles, repetitive strain, postural problems, or recovery from injury. People often feel sore for one to two days after deep tissue massage.

Indian Head Massage
Indian head massage has been practiced in India for over a thousand years, to release the stress and tension that has accumulated in the tissues, muscles and joints of the head, face, neck and shoulders. Clients, fully clothed, sit in a massage chair for the treatment and it can either be carried out as a 'dry' massage, or with oil - which can also be great for your hair and to stimulate hair growth. In addition, the therapist may also gently stimulate and stroke pressure points on the face to help blood circulation and relieve sinusitis. 

Thai Massage

Thai massage aligns the energies of the body using gentle pressure on specific points. Thai massage also includes compressions and stretches. The therapist moves and stretches you into a sequence of postures. It's like yoga without doing any work. Thai massage is more energising than other forms of massage. It is also reduces stress and improves flexibility and range of motion. 

Hot Stone Massage

Heated, smooth stones, usually made of basalt or wood, are placed on certain points on the body to warm and loosen tight muscles and balance energy centers in the body, and prepare muscles for massage. A massage therapist will usually also hold stones and massage with them by applying gentle pressure with them, as well as deeper pressure to really work on knots and areas of tension. The warmth is comforting and relaxing. Cold stones can also be used, most commonly around eyes to reduce puffiness.

Revlon
Benefit
Estée Lauder (including the companies they own such as MAC, Bobbi Brown, Clinque, Jo Malone, Origins)
Johnson & Johnson 
Max Factor
L’Oréal (including the companies they own such as Lancome, Kiehls, Vichy, Maybelline)
Avon 
Mary Kay
P&G 
Dove
Elizabeth Arden
Guerlain
L'Occitane
St Ives

(According to PETA's website - find a full list here.)

LUSH
​Aveda
Barefaced Beauty
Burts Bees
Dermalogica
Smashbox
Urban Decay

Find full list here.

The lucky ones! Smooth, clear, firm, even skin tone, rarely any spots.

Dull, flaky, feeling of tightness, more pronounced lines, slight redness and sensitivity.

Prone to shininess, can suffer with spots, blackheads and open pores, especially in the T-Zone area, sallow colouring. (Good news - oily skin tends to age the slowest as it acts as a natural lubricant and plumps the skin!)

A combination of two of the above skin types – usually one is more pronounced than the other, e.g. oily T-Zone and normal cheeks.

Think of a massage with pummelling, smacking and knuckling and you'll be closer to knowing what an anti-cellulite massage is - it's pretty hardcore! Whether you're overweight or stick thin, you will most likely develop cellulite at some point of your life, as it's normal fat underneath the skin which can be affected by poor diet, lack of exercise, hormone changes, as well as being heredity. The fat pushes against connective tissues, causing the skin above it to pucker, which therefore explains why massage is a beneficial treatment because it starts to break up those fatty tissues, improve circulation and hopefully reduce some dimples. In time to Pharrell William's 'Happy', we cleansed, exfoliated and massaged the back of each others' thighs with such speed and vigour that I built up quite a sweat by the end! It was hilarious seeing everyone in class jiggle around and screech in discomfort! I thoroughly enjoyed having it done and would start every day with one if I could! 

Brought to the UK a few years ago, but practiced in India and Egypt for centuries, threading is gaining popularity due to it being 100% natural and sometimes more precise than tweezing and waxing. It's much harder than I thought it would be!! We were shown two ways to achieve this technique, either with both hands, or one hand and our mouth. I preferred the latter and felt like, with practice, I could give the ladies offering this treatment in shopping malls a good run for their money! It's so simple; a piece of thread is twisted to create a lasso-effect which plucks the hairs out right from the follicle - several can be plucked out at once making it a relatively quick treatment. Lots of people say it's a bit painful to start off with, but after a few treatments the hair follicles weaken and hair won't grow back as quickly or thickly, so it's worth it from time to time. And it's not just brows, it's also great for your upper lip and chin.  I'm looking forward to buying the thread and practising! 

Fake Bake is a brand of fake tan which comes in either cream or spray, but we used the cream in class which is applied with hands after exfoliating the whole body and then buffed to remove any steaks or obvious lines. My partner (a fellow mature student) and I decided it was far too tricky trying to maintain our modesty so we went topless and just got on with it. I have to say it was pretty strange having a peer rubbing fake tan on my boobs, and perhaps even more strange for me to rub fake tan onto hers (I felt like a pubescent teenage boy who was experiencing his first pair of knockers and not knowing where to look!!). The cream is a lot darker than what the real tan will look like once developed - it's just so you know where you're applying it - so don't be alarmed if you look like a female bodybuilder; after 6-8 hours, or overnight in my case, it's washed off to reveal the true colour. Mine is a very natural sunkissed tan. Ideal for a special occasion or pre-holiday, or nipping those January blues in the bud...