Maternity Clothing Look Book for Spring/Summer ft Very, Next and Mothercare

Styling my ever growing bump is becoming more and more difficult by the day; not only do some of my favourite clothes no longer fit me, but finding cute maternity clothes is proving quite difficult for me, especially for the hotter weather we're now starting to have here in England. With being pregnant there's a never ending need to be comfortable and a never ending struggle with getting comfortable. For me, this has increased almost ten fold since I've hit the 20 week mark and I've been struggling more and more to find comfort in anything. Walking for too long or sitting for too long is a constant issue thanks to my Pelvic Girdle Pain and keeping hot enough or cool enough throughout the day is proving evermore difficult because of this indecisive weather. Standing in front of my wardrobe each morning and trying to decide what to wear, hoping that the weather app on my phone is accurate has felt like a never ending battle and one that my bump has very much played a rather large part in recently. 

At the beginning of my pregnancy I bought 'regular' clothes just a couple of sizes too big to try and incorporate my growing body and I thought this would work perfectly for me. I thought I'd beat the shops at their own game and avoid buying 'proper' maternity clothes for the majority of my pregnancy if I could. I mean, has anyone noticed how friggin' expensive maternity clothing can be?! Of course, joke was on me because apart from my Maternity Jeans (which I knew I'd never be able to live without) I went off and spent loads of money (or rather my mum spent loads of money) on shirts and tops from Primark in a size 12 for me and all of three weeks later, I've already out-bumped most of them. Since then I've given in completely and gone all out on maternity shopping and have realised there's a reason why maternity clothing is designed especially for us ladies expecting little bambinos. IT IS ALL COMFY AS HELL. I never thought a maternity t-shirt would be more comfortable than a normal t-shirt, but my lordy I was wrong! Anyway, now that I've seen the light, I've been completely suckered into finding cute maternity dresses / outfits to wear and thought I'd share a couple of my favourite looks with you to perhaps help any other expectant mumma's out there find some new pieces for their wardrobes too! I've found that places like Very.co.uk have a really great range of Maternity pieces for all styles and shapes that are actually quite affordable too! 

Top: Rochelle Humes for Very // Dungarees: Rochelle Humes for Very //

Shoes: Converse // Bomber: Very

Jeans: Topshop Maternity // Top: Rochelle Humes for Very // 

Shoes: Converse // Sunglasses: Polaroid

Dress: Mothercare // Shoes: Converse // Sunglasses: Polaroid

Dress: Next Maternity // Denim Jacket: New Look (similar) //
 Shoes: Kurt Geiger (similar) // Sunglasses: Polaroid

Dress: Rochelle Humes for Very // Tights: Topshop Maternity // Shoes: Topshop (similar)

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BekyLou, Beauty, Fashion, Fitness and Lifestyle Blog based in the South West and London.

(*this post may contain items gifted to me for PR purposes*)

This post contains affiliate links - Disclaimer

Top 5 Daily Items I Just Can't Live Without

*This post is sponsored by Daniel Wellington*

As a girl I feel like I always carry around far too much sh*t with me, yet I just can't stop myself. I look at my boyfriend and on almost every single occasion where we leave the house he has just his wallet, keys and phone with him - maybe a pair of sunglasses if it's an extra sunny day - but that's it. He takes nothing else with him. There's no need with a guy; it's all just so easy for them. I looked in my handbag the other day, actually scratch that, I looked in 5 of my handbags the other day (guilty as charged) and tried to sort through them and they were just full of absolute cr*p! Why do I need to carry around so much with me on a daily basis? I swear I literally take a handbag with me just to carry around all of the crap I collect over the few weeks in-between each bag clear out. It seems absolutely pointless to me and so after much thought, I've decided I need to cut down on the items I deem as essential to my daily life; I mean, with a baby changing bag soon to be hauled around with me everywhere I go, not to mention my baby too, I'm really going to need to cut down!

Card Holder

This one is one that I think goes without much explanation needed really; I can't really get far without my money on me nowadays (which I am trying really hard to cut down on spending) and my Kate Spade card holder is something that I never leave the house without now. I am proud of myself for cutting down to a card holder though and not a full blown purse like I used to have. It is so much easier to carry this around when I change over to a smaller bag and also for when I literally do just do what I like to call the 'grab and go' when I really can't be arsed to take a whole handbag with me for smaller trips out and just grab my essentials. I really wish I could be like that more of the time! I've even managed to cut down on the amount of cards I take out and about with me now and have gotten them down to the bare essentials. As you can see in the image, I have just my NHS Maternity Exemption card, My debit card, Drivers Liscense and my three main points cards: Nectar, Tesco and of course Boots!

Phone

Although again, this is something I'm trying to become less dependant on, my phone does make it into my list of daily items I just can't live without. It's definitely a lifeline for me and even though the only people to contact me on a daily basis are really my boyfriend and best gal Melody, I just can't seem to last a day without it; especially when I'm at work. Like I said, I am trying to become less dependant on this and have started putting it on silent and leaving it in my bag so that I don't scroll away the days on Instagram and Twitter, however I can't quite bring myself to leave it at home just yet as with being Pregnant I feel like I kind of need it with me in case of any emergencies. But hey, I tried people.  My phone case here is from Coconut Lane.

Watch

This one is a newer one for me and not something I necessarily keep in my handbag, but after recently receiving this beautiful  Daniel Wellington Classic Petite watch, I can't seem to leave the house without it. Definitely not something I ever thought I'd hear myself say as I'm usually not a fan of accessories on my wrists (such a weirdo) but after wearing this non-stop for the past week or so I literally could not see myself go a day without wearing it now. I recently wrote a blog post reviewing this watch where I tried to describe why it'll help me with getting my sh*t together before our baby arrives and honestly in the days since I wrote that post, it hasn't left my wrist and I have definitely found myself depending on it a lot more than I ever thought I would. Who would have thought I'd ever become a watch-wearing kinda gal? Certainly not me. I really think the smaller 32" face of this piece has got something to do with it though, unlike most other slightly larger watches, this one fits so perfectly on my petite wrists and feels so natural and comfortable every day. I honestly forget I'm wearing it most of the time! It's been amazing having the time on me at all times without staring at my phone screen too and that is why it's now number 3 in my 'daily essentials'. You can get 15% off of your Daniel Wellington watch at www.danielwellington.com with my code 'Bekylou'

Phone Charger

Kind of carrying on from the phone option, If I am taking a bag with me, I will always have a phone charger on me. I have one in my car and one in every hand bag I own just in case. If I have my phone on me then you can bet your bottom dollar, I'll have a charger on me too. I can't have my phone with me and have the chance of it dying on me. And I know I said I'm trying to cut down on how much I use my phone, but with how much I use it, how much I listen to music on it and how long I'm usually on the phone to my boyfriend for whilst he's driving home, my battery usually plummets quite fast! 

Glasses / Sunglasses

Now, I don't have to wear these at all let alone every day, but I do get headaches occasionally and for that reason I do like to carry my glasses around with me most days. Especially now I'm pregnant and the headaches are far more common than they ever were before, I feel so much more secure having them with me. My glasses are like my fail-safe, I always like to have them around just-in-case. They're my go-to for when I feel a little iffy as having the effort of getting my eyes to concentrate on things taken away by these means freeing up my energy for other daily tasks. Mine are currently from Karl Lagerfeld at Specsavers and I love them to death! Throughout the sunnier months these usually get replaced by / joined by my Sunglasses. As I don't have prescription ones these are just my regular Polaroid Aviators that I've shown in countless posts before! 

What are the 5 things you can't live without on the daily? I'd love to know yours in the comments below!

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BekyLou, Beauty, Fashion, Fitness and Lifestyle Blog based in the South West and London.

(*this post may contain items gifted to me for PR purposes*)

*This post contains Affiliate links - Disclaimer

New In: Clarins Sunkissed Summer Makeup Collection

Each year as Spring shows itself and Summer is fast approaching (although never nearly fast enough) I eagerly await the press release for the new Clarins Summer Makeup range. It's become almost a tradition of mine on BekyLou to write up this release every year and I'm so happy to say that this year I've been lucky enough to review the collection again. The Sunkissed Summer Collection from Clarins is this years must have in my eyes as with the gorgeous packaging and beautifully put together shades, it's one of their best Summer collections to date. 

As always with Clarins my first port of call has to be the packaging. Clarins never seem to disappoint with their classic golden-mirrored packaging, but this year I feel they've gone that one step further with this collection. Both the coveted Limited Edition Bronzer and Eye-Shadow Quad are encased in their traditional packaging, but come this year with a beautiful twist. The burnt orange casing decorated with palm leaves and the classic 'Clarins' logo is very on-trend for this year and just makes the pieces feel that little bit more special. They really stand out from the crowd amongst my various other Clarins plaettes and I for one, am really happy with the slight summery change. 

 I first wanted to talk about one of my favourite products in the range this year, the gorgeous Limited Edition Bronze and Blush Palette which is always highly anticipated. The sheer size of it is a huge selling point from the off as you get so much for your money and with the three gorgeous bronzing shades and a lovely dark coral blush you definitely get more than with your bog standard bronzer. It's one item within the Summer Clarins collections that is always hyped about before it's released and is one that never disappoints (or at least it never does with me); it's such a versatile product that is made up of the nicest bronzing shades and is just suitable for most skin tones. This year's edition also has the added bonus of Clarins' Anti-pollution complex and Light Optimizing+ complex which leave the skin protected and looking radiant all day long! 

My other favourite from this year's Sunkissed collection has to be the Limited Edition eyeshadow quad and my God, isn't it a beauty? As you can imagine I was instantly drawn to this by that stunning orange colour; a colour that usually reminds me of more autumnal palettes. It was a little strange seeing a colour so bright in a Clarins palette as I've only ever seen more neutral / subdued colours in their ranges before, but it was a really nice surprise and one that is absolutely perfect for summer. With all of the love going around at the moment over peach inspired palettes and colour themes, this orange is perfect for creating some really beautiful summery looks and with the other three colours in the palette, perfect for blending together to create such a gorgeous eye, you really cannot go wrong with this quad. Yet again, Clarins hit the nail on the head with this one. Made with 100% mineral, plant based pigments, these shadows are really well pigmented and work beautifully onto the eye either dry or wet. I've always been a huge fan of Clarins shadows, but I feel like with this palette there's just something a little more special. I am besotted!

Next up and new to my collection this year are the Limited Edition waterproof eyeliner pencils in Gold and Copper, two shades which I have absolutely fallen in love with and are an absolute dream to match with the Eyeshadow quad. The colours are so different to anything usually available at this time of the year, but if you think about it, are so perfect for the Summer months. As with all of Clarins liners, these two are super pigmented and are ultra smooth; they glide onto the skin / waterline with so much ease and stay put all day. Ain't nothing budging these bad boys! 

Last but by no means least, this year Clarins have released four new shades of their ever popular Instant Light Lip Comfort Oils. These beautiful oils glide onto the lips and melt into them with a colourful sheen and a really comfortable finish. With them being some kind of a lip-hybrid (a mix between an oil and a gloss) they do have a slightly tacky feel to them when they're first applied and do feel like you have a slight (yet very light) film over your lips, but in my opinion this is no where near as bothering as a sticky gloss usually is, because they're not sticky at all once applied. They're actually quite hard to describe, but just believe me when I say (especially as a hater of lip glosses) that once you've given these beauties a go, you'll never look back. Filled with hazelnut oil, mirabelle (I'm not too sure on this one either) and organic jojoba oils, these keep the lips nourished and supple in the hot Summer months. The four new shades to the collection are Candy (my favourite by far), Tangerine, Honey Glam (infused with glimmering flecks) and Mint which is has menthol as one of it's main ingredients and has a little extra with some lip plumping action thrown in! You'll be happy to know too that the Mint one doesn't give off too much of a colour pay off too so you won't be rocking the cool blue lips any times soon - unless of course that's you're kinda thing! 

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BekyLou, Beauty, Fashion, Fitness and Lifestyle Blog based in the South West and London.

(*this post may contain items gifted to me for PR purposes*)

The Daniel Wellington Classic Petite Sterling Wristwatch

With the ever looming arrival of my baby girl in a short 19 weeks (what?!) I've decided it's time to get myself a little more organised. Even though at work I pride myself on being organised and have my work-life sh*t sorted, at home it's quite different and I've been feeling lately like I need to just get on top of it all. One thing I've never been so good at (for the whole 22 years of my life so far) is timing and I have a feeling that once this little munchkin comes along, I'm going to have to have my life sorted that little bit more than I do now. What with needing to get on top of timings when it comes to sleep and feeds and keeping on top of my blogging too (as much as I can anyway) I think I'm going to struggle quite a bit, unless I make a start on it now. 

The new Daniel Wellington Classic Petite Sterling is my new go-to accessory for making sure that my little (growing) bum is on time for most things. Of course, I am me and I think tardiness is just in my nature (sigh) but having this fancy new little beauty on my wrist is definitely going to help me keep my timing issues at bay. I've never really worn watches as a daily thing - yes, I have watches and I've written about watches before, but after a couple of days of wearing them I usually just start to forget or not bother and I think that has something to do with them not really being very 'me'. The Silver Mesh strap on my newest accessory though is most definitely more my style and one that I think will be a go-to piece for my everyday wardrobe for many moons to come and it's something I'm going to make sure I start wearing more and more. I mean, how am I meant to sort my life out if I can't even remember to put on a watch everyday? As part of my new timing and organisation lifestyle overhaul, my new Daniel Wellington watch will definitely be playing a key part in keeping me in-check. Having the time permanently situated on my wrist during the day means no excuses when it comes to running ridiculously late or procrastinating like there's no tomorrow! 

I've loved Daniel Wellington and their watches for quite some time now and have a couple others, but this one by far has to be a favourite. The dainty watch face and petite mesh strap are perfect for my tiny wrists and match my other silver jewellery pieces perfectly. In short, it's slotted into my very limited jewellery collection really well and unlike other watches I've worn in the past, it doesn't look out of place with my style - Even with my mama-to-be maternity dungarees it seems to fit in! I really love how Daniel Wellington have introduced this watch into the collection with the smaller 32" watch face as it's definitely a feature that suits me more than their larger watches. I'm sure for most females around this is going to be a well loved selling-point for them too; there's just something about a slightly less in-your-face timepiece that looks more at home on a woman's wrist. The Classic Petite is such a sophisticated looking watch and one that will stay timeless in it's classic style for years to come. 

Get 15% Discount off of your Daniel Wellington watch with code BEKYLOU at www.Danielwellington.com 

#AF

What I'm wearing:

Dungarees: Very.co.uk

T-shirt: Very.co.uk

Bracelets: Pandora / Tiffany & Co

INSTAGRAM | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | BLOGLOVIN'

BekyLou, Beauty, Fashion, Fitness and Lifestyle Blog based in the South West and London.

(*this post may contain items gifted to me for PR purposes*)

This post is sponsored by Daniel Wellington.