Hey Guys,

Recently I was sent the Bourjois Vox Box by Influenster. If you haven't heard of Influenster it's a fab app where you can share make-up and product reviews. This wasn't my first box but there were so many goodies to try so I thought I should definitely share them with you. I have been a fan of Bourjois for quite a while, reasonably priced and good quality, I have a few of their lipsticks and love their blushers, mainly because of the lovely scents. Let me take you through the products and be sure to scroll all the way down to see the make-up look I have created! 

First up we have the Heathy Mix Anti-Fatigue Foundation (55 - Dark Beige, £9.99) and Concealer  (52 - Medium, £8.99) . This gives a semi radiant finish and has medium coverage. Those of you who know me, know I love a dewy finish to my foundation. This is somewhere in between matte and radiant however not radiant enough for me. Saying that I was still pleasantly surprised by the effect it gave. It was slightly too light for me, however I warmed it up with a coloured powder. For the price I think it is really good value for money and could easily see myself wearing it again. The concealer was just as impressive as the foundation. It is so great to see drug store brands producing fab quality. I still needed to use a colour corrector for my eye bags though.

The Bourjois Little Round Pot Blushers (£6.49) are some of my fave, so I knew I was going to love this. What's great about their blusher's is that they are not very pigmented. I know this sounds confusing, but it really allows you to build up the blusher which allows for a better blend and more natural effect. The brush that comes with it is actually pretty good as the bristles are quite tough, so when I'm in a rush I use it more, as it allows for quicker application. The effect this blusher gave was beautiful.

Hey Guys,

This week I am bringing to you a gift guide for stocking fillers, however saying that some of these would also make great actual gifts on their own too. They would also be perfect for those Secret santa's where you are on a budget. They are all beauty related so if it ain't your thing then click away now!

This is such a beautiful gift set. It contains three of the magnificent metals liquid eyeshadows in mini format. For the price I think this is great as it allows you to try three different colours for around the same price as what one would usually cost. The effect these give is stunning and so sparkly I just can't get enough. This is one of the pricier items on my list and would equally make a fab christmas present or stocking filler.

Such a lovely stocking filler. Not only am I 'impressed' (excuse the pun! Come on, it is christmas!) by the range of gorgeous designs, but also how secure these feel on the nail. I think I can honestly say these are the best false nails I have ever tried. They fit my nails so perfectly and they have been designed to look like a gel nail. They appear so professional and would be a hit in any beauty lover's stocking. I really enjoyed wearing them myself and have a pair ready for Christmas day!

Who doesn't love false lashes? Well whatever lash effect you want, from dramatic to natural, Kiss have you covered. I was particularly wowed by the Lash Couture range as they give a faux mink effect. They are 3D and also have a mix of brown and black coloured hairs in them to make them look even more effective. Gift one as a stocking filler and do yourself a favour, buy a pair for you too.

Without fail, every year I get some sort of nail polish combo as a gift and out of a lot of sets, these limited edition colours really stand out to me. Leighton Denny is a great nail brand and you can rely on the quality of the nail polish. You get two mini nail polishes for £10 and I think the colours are great for the festive season. The packaging also gives me christmas cracker vibes so it's a hit for me!

So this might not seem like an obvious stocking filler but let me tell you whoever is on the receiving end of these will thank you! If you haven't heard of Spacemasks, it's essentially an eye mask that when you apply to your face, start to warm up using some kind of crazy scientific power (iron filings react to oxygen creating heat). The end result is a warm soothing eye mask with the added extra of Jasmine. I suggest buying a box of five and adding one to everyone's Christmas present!

6. Charlotte Tilbury - Mini Celebrity Lipstick Charms (£29)

Hey guys,

It's been ages since I did a personal post and a lot of things have changed recently so I thought it was the perfect opportunity to fill you guys in and get a few things off my chest.

So September marked a milestone for my family. My baby, angel, bubbles, Zinnia started school. This is such a momentous achievement because when I think of her as a baby to where she is now it's pretty remarkable. It might sound cliche, but she has grown into such an intelligent, caring, mindful little girl and I could literally burst with pride thinking about her standing there in her uniform. She is born in August and this makes her the youngest in her class, but I can confidently say she was more than ready for school.

With Zinnia starting school, I also felt like it was time for my little Princess, Choochi, Sabine to get a little bit more structure to her day, so decided to start her in nursery. She is 2 and a half now and I felt like she needed it. She is such a beautiful and clever little thing, and her cheekiness is admirable but I knew this would be put to the test with her starting nursery. She talked the talk, in that she was boasting to everyone she was going to start nursery, however when the settling in sessions started, she was distressed. She does three full days, 8am to 4pm, while I'm at work. She still has a little cry in the mornings, but I guess these things take time. They tell me she plays happily once she has calmed down in the morning. But then when I see her as I walk through the door she bursts into tears again. It's quite sweet actually. Her little lips and big eyes stunned at seeing me and then all of a sudden a burst of emotion as she is reminded of the hurt. However, she has had the odd occasion where she sees me and runs to give me a hug so all in all she is getting better.

My husband has also started working full time. We were previously both working part time and then spending equal days looking after the girls. Whilst I was at work he would look after the girls and when he was at work I would. So in a weird way my routine is the only one that has stayed the same, working three days as a teacher and freelancing as a make-up artist the rest of the time, but obviously with the girls starting school and nursery and Aaron starting back full time, all these changes have affected me too in the strangest of ways.

I'm a little lost. I guess it had taken me about 4 years to get used to the idea of the fact that I am mum  and literally when I became comfortable in my skin and routine, all of a sudden I feel like I have lost my identity all over again (see my Identity Crisis post here). Which is stupid. I mean I am literally telling myself that this feeling is ridiculous. I can't help but feel I have lost a little bit of my girls. I have absolutely no idea what they get up to when they're at school/ nursery. Even being a teacher myself and understanding the curriculum and what it's like for children at school, I still find it hard to deal with the fact that I don't know what they're getting up to. God help me when they become teenagers and want to go out on their own (not happening). 

And then comes the bout of guilt again. Anytime I'm not with them (unless I'm working) I feel guilty. 'Oh I shouldn't leave them, I hardly see them now they're at school/nursery.' Which is bull because I do and I know I deserve time to myself. I think I'm my own worst enemy and my biggest critic. I still have a lot of guilt towards Zinnia for being a first time mum quite young and not knowing what I was doing. Which again is ridiculous as I did the best I could and everyone experiences this as first time mums. It's like feeling guilty for her being first and Sabine second, but someone has to go first. I realise what I'm saying is so irrational but it's a feeling and that's all. This motherhood malarky is the most complicated thing I have ever done.

If you follow me on Instagram, you may have seen in my stories we have also decided to move house. We haven't been here long and I love my house but I'm also thinking about my girls future and I want the absolute best for them so I will do whatever I can to get that for them. Exciting things are happening and I will keep you all posted!

Amina xx

Hi guys,

A few weeks back the lovely Safiyah Tasneem let me guest post on her blog. I love her blog so much and it's always lovely for me when I do get a chance to, so I thought I would share it with you all too.

This week I am bringing you a review of the NYX Cosmic Metals Lip Creams (£7), which come in a range of 18 colours! These lip creams are truly beautiful to look at. They offer a high shine gloss with beautiful specks of shimmer within to give that extra sparkle.

The colours that were sent for review are the most wearable, for everyday, out of the range. I am obsessed with nudes so these were perfect for me and I feel there is a colour to suit every skin tone. Also included in the range are blues and greens, which I can imagine are beautiful in their own right. The packaging is simple and sleek with a little black crystal on top of the lid for that extra luxury. The formula on these is very thick hence being called a lip cream. however not sticky in the slightest. I find that you can wear these in one of two ways. Either apply a very thin layer to get a slight shimmer or you can build up the layers to get a very glossy, full metallic colour. Either way the effect is pretty. 

The effect you get from these is stunning if you like your glosses. Personally, I have been getting more use out of wearing them to parties or weddings. The durability of these is quite short lived and I have found myself reapplying after a couple of hours, however this is understandable considering the high shine and shimmer. I am happy to do this on a night out but may get tired of repeating this throughout the day. I would also advise moisturised lips as otherwise the formula can get stuck within the creases of your lips. I have actually tried wearing these on the eye lids as glossy lids are totally in, and they can totally double up as an eye cream too. 

Overall I really like the lip creams and would recommend. My favourite colour has to be Retro Harmony and Crystallised Metal. Probably down to the rose gold vibes. Obviously! Which colour is your favourite??

Amina xx

*PR Sample. All opinions are my own.

Hey Guys,

Let me start with saying I love the feeling of having freshly painted nails. It just makes my hands look so pretty and feels like a little bit of luxury. It's such a treat for me to set aside some time and pamper myself. The dream is to be able to go to a salon and get them done professionally, however I just don't have the time or the money! I think I have found a great alternative. Cue CND Vinylux Weekly Polish.* If you haven't heard of CND before, it may be because they are widely used in professional salons. However with the release of their weekly polish it is now easier for us to get this salon quality at home. The idea is you apply two coats of nail polish and one coat of the top coat and you are left with nails that will last up to 7 days.

The four polishes I was sent are:- Radiant Chill (£6.95, 15ml), a beautiful rose gold colour, Ice bar (£6.95, 15ml), a shimmering iridescent colour, which works great as a topper, Alpine Plum (£6.95, 15ml), a metallic lilac and finally the weekly top coat. I have enjoyed wearing the colours, together, on top of each other and creating feature nails using them. Tried and tested, I can say they do actually last the seven days, as long as you use the top coat. The top coat is where the long lasting technology comes in. With exposure to natural light over time the nail polish becomes more durable and long lasting. This also explains the black bottle it comes in (as to not allow any light into the bottle). The only wear I saw after seven days was slight chipping near the bottom of the nail, where natural wear and tear would occur. 

In the above pictures I applied Ice bar over the Ring finger nail to create a shimmer over the top of the other colours. I really liked this effect and think it added a little dimension to the nails. One thing I will say is the nail polish has a very strong smell. As do most nail polishes, however I put this down to the fact these are salon quality nail polishes. The rounded shape of the brush and formula of the nail polish make it very easy to apply. The bottles suggest two coats of nail polish however I only applied one as the colour pay off was great. I would recommend buffing the nails prior to application to totally smooth your nails out, as the metallic effect can cause the ridges in your nails to show a little more.

Overall I am really impressed with the nail polishes and think they would make a great stocking filler or gift. The colours are perfect, so feminine and perfect for the upcoming Winter months. Have you used CND before? Which colour is your favourite?

Amina xx 

*PR sample. All opinions are my own.