Hey guys,

So if you read my posts regularly you are probably wondering why there is no second trimester post. To be honest it's because the second trimester flew by and didn't really cause me any problems whatsoever. This is typical of the second trimester and probably the first time in my pregnancies where , dare I say it, I actually enjoyed the pregnancy!?!? (Reading this back I would say that's taking it too far lol) Compared to my first trimester (click here for post) the second trimester was the complete opposite. I wouldn't say everything completely disappeared but there was nothing apart from a small scare (a heavy bleed which is still unexplained) which really fazed me. 

Hey everyone,

Recently Iconic London had a 20% sale on and I had got a little birthday money so I decided to purchase a few beauty items as I hadn't splurged on myself in a while.  Because of the sale, it meant I got the newly released Brow silk for £16 rather than the usual £20 so I was chuffed with my bargain. Surprisingly, I haven't actually bought any of Iconic's other products but have tried their Illuminating drops and really liked them. So it's not really a brand I was familiar with but the brow silk really appealed to me.

Hi guys,

One of my highest requested make-up looks is a glowy, natural, nude look. I recently did a poll on my instagram stories and this came up as favourite compared to other looks such as a smokey eye or bold lip. So I decided to create one using some fantastic products I received recently.

The first thing I will say is that when it comes to creating this type of look your skincare before the make-up application has to be on point. The skin needs to be really hydrated and prepped. So to start with I exfoliated using *Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant, which exfoliates the skin and leaves you with a smooth surface. I then applied *Pixi Glow Tonic Toner and Glow Serum for that extra boost of Glycolic acid, which will reveal new skin cells. I finally applied my *Dermalogica Prisma Protect moisturiser with SPF 30.

Hi Guys,

I thought this week I would bring you a little update on some of the curly hair products I have been using recently. I got my first curly hair cut and colour from the lovely Matt and Rosie at Spring is in the Hair salon, the UK's first dedicated curly hair salon which happens to be in my hometown of Birmingham. It was quit the experience as I have never had my curls cut dry before, but so nice to be in a salon full of curly haired people! Matt literally goes through your hair practically curl by curl until you achieve a shape that suits you. And I think by far what I am most happiest with is the colour. I wanted subtle highlights and Rosie nailed it. While I was there I was recommended the Trepadora Papaya Slip Taming Potion (£18). It is actually a life changing product for me when it comes to my curls. It literally holds every curl in place and can be left to air dry or diffuse, although I find the results better when diffusing. You are left with quite tight, rigid and crispy curls however you literally scrunch it out and your curls turn into these soft ringlets. It is just lovely so I am excited to continue using it!

Hey guys,

Last week I was invited to the launch of Santa's Winter Wonderland* at the Snowdome in Tamworth! It has been running for 14 years now, but even being a local Brummie I had never been. I couldn't wait to go because I knew how excited the kids would be. So I told them I had a surprise for them after school and they weren't left disappointed. There was everything you could wish for in a Winter Wonderland, real snow, Santa himself, and animals!

Hey guys,

This week I am bringing to you some of my recent favourites as I haven't done a post like this in a while. I thought I would take the opportunity to introduce you to some new brands on the blog and also some old favourites.

First up we have this gorgeous liquid highlighter by Nip and Fab in Rose Gold (£8.63, currently 25% off from Superdrug.). I got this as a Christmas present from my lovely sister in law and have been using it a lot over the past couple of months to give me a healthy glow in this dreadful weather. I love how versatile it is, in that you can apply it quite heavily to give a strong strobed look, or you can blend it in, or even mix with your foundation to give a more natural glowing effect. I really love the product however am not so keen on the dropper style packaging as I feel the gel like consistency is too thick for it. However I am no packaging expert so can't really suggest a better option. All I know is I never have to squeeze the dropper, instead I dot the product onto my face using the dropper as an applicator.

Something else I have also been using literally every time I have a shower is the *HEMPZ Vanilla Plum Relaxing Herbal Body Wash  (£16.99). It is packed with goodness for your skin with one of the main ingredients being Hemp seed oil, as well as Vitamin A, C and E and also Shea butter. The ingredients match the price tag and confirm you are buying a good quality product.  Hemp seed oil is quickly becoming very popular in skin care as it has a lot of benefits for the skin as an antioxidant, as well as being able to suit many skin types. A quick mention that Hemp seed oil does come from the same plant Cannabis comes from (as you may have found the icon on the tube familiar), however Cannabis is derived from the plants flower and leaves, whereas Hemp seed oil comes directly from the seed where there is no THC, which is responsible for the psychoactive effects.  So there is no need to worry! When I leave the shower, my skin is smooth, nourished and plump. I am really intrigued with hemp seed oil and can't wait to grow my collection. An added bonus is it is a vegan product and paragon, gluten and THC free.

Another product I seem to be using a lot after I have had a shower is the OUAI Rose Hair & Body Oil (£25), OUAI is a brand headed by the very famous hairstylist to many celebrities, including Kim K herself, Jen Atkin. I knew this was going to be a brand I would like to try as the products seemed so high end but also in an affordable range for me. The fact the oil is a multi - use products stands out to me because let's face it - I don't have much shelf space! I apply this all over my body and actually skip the step of moisturising my body, using this instead. I then apply a small squirt to my hands and apply through the ends of my hair. I have very dry skin and hair and the oil is absorbed well. The smell is heavenly, as you would imagine being Rose scented. But there are also hints of Bergamot and White Musk so it smells a dream. I think I would still class this as a luxury product because of the price tag, but it's nice to treat myself once in a while!

Next up is a brand I have already spoken about on the blog and it is *CND Vinylux Weekly Nail polishes (£6.95)! Read my post here for the in depth details of why I like these so much. The reason they have appeared again is because their new range of nudes have been released, and I am besotted. I love nudes, but it is like these were made for my skin tone. There are four colours in total, Uncovered, Unlocked, Unearthed and Unmasked and I am wearing the colours, Unearthed and Unlocked below. I can see these becoming my go to nail polishes. A quick round up of why these are some of my fave is that they are enriched with keratin, jojoba oil and Vitamin E, and its the weekly top coat you can expect your nail polish to last seven days. Need I say more.

The final product to end my recent faves post is these beautiful lashes by *Doll Beauty in Brandy  (£10). I have been looking for some really fluttery lashes for ages that are not extortionately priced and I have found them. They feel so nice and wispy when on and are not too much. The band is so nice and flexible, which I love as it means it can be applied tightly to the lash line. I love to wear these without any liner for that total natural wispy look. They have also recently launched in some Topshop stores and I can say they are definitely comparable to the likes of Huda Beauty, but for almost half the price. With the likes of PLouise (British Makeup academy & brand based in Manchester) using them, if they are good enough for her they are good enough for me! So look out for some make-up looks using these in the future!

I hope you liked my recent favourites. Are there any products you are loving at the moment? Let me know in the comments below.

Amina xx

*PR samples. All opinions are my own.

Hi guys,

This week I am bringing to you a review of some fabulous Pixi beauty products. I have been using Pixi skincare for a while now and my love affair first started with the Glow Tonic which I spoke about on my blog 2 years ago (click here) . So the fact that I still use this product is testament to it's amazingness! Over Christmas Pixi always do fabulous gift sets and I was lucky enough to get one from my sister. This particular one was £35 and contains the Glow Tonic, Polish and Peel, Glow Mud Cleanser and Make-up Cleansing Cloths. I have been using the products for month now so thought I would give your my verdict on my whole collection.

First up we have the Glow Tonic itself (£18). I use this as a toner once a day on a cotton pad. I swipe this across my skin and it literally energises my  skin. It contains 5% glycolic acid which is great for removing those dead skin cells and helping the skin to regenerate. It also contains things like Ginseng and Witch Hazel which is where I believe it's spicy smell comes from. With continued use this literally helps the skin restore itself and glow. It's a firm favourite in my routine and I don't see it going anywhere soon! It is usually £18 on it's own so when I saw it included in the gift set I was thrilled.

A few summer's ago I also purchased Pixi Glow Mist (£16). As if I wasn't already glowing enough I knew when it launched I needed it. The Glow Mist is an oil based spray which can be used to hydrate the skin and set make up. This was not part of the gift set and I mainly use this in the summer to give my skin a dewy shine. Once I have applied make-up I give the bottle a quick shake and spray over the fact to give a luminescence to the skin. In winter month's I tend to just spray over my dehydrated skin after I have removed my make-up. I have also been known to spray over my body and hair. Just saying. It contains 13 natural oils and is a concoction of goodness and I definitely recommend.

Now for the rest of the gift set. These are all products I have been using over the past 4 weeks. Firstly the Make-up Melting Cleansing Cloths (£10). No these are not 'wet wipes' they are 'cleansing cloths'. They are packed with camomile and grapeseed oil so literally feel as though you are conditioning your skin while you remove your makeup. When I have used wet wipes in the past my skin always feels so dry afterwards that I immediately wash and moisturise. But with these I literally feel as though I can leave my skin to it as they have removed my make-up as well as repaired my skin.

Within the gift set I also received the Glow Mud Cleanser (£18). Another glow product,  Ok yes we are seeing a pattern here. My skin after Christmas was really bad. I had a lot of break outs and redness due to the amount of rich foods I was consuming. So I was hoping by using this it would calm my skin down and I was right. I have been using this 3 to 4 times weekly and the aloe and lavender within has calmed down my breakouts and redness. You can also apply and leave on as a mask which is an added benefit. 

The final product in the gift set is the Peel and Polish (£26). I have wanted to try this for ages. The peel and polish is an enzyme mask which is applied to dry skin. You then leave it for two minutes to allow the enzymes to activate and finally rub into the skin like you would an exfoliator and rinse off.  The  product is intended to act like a peel and resurface the skin. This is just what I needed, as like I said before my breakouts had left my skin quite bumpy. I have been using this twice a week for the past four weeks and literally feel as though my skin is back to normal. I love the fact it tingles a bit when applied as it also makes me feel like it is doing something.

So that's it folks. As you can see I am so impressed with Pixi skincare. My collection is only going to grow further. These are genuinely products I have added to my skincare routine and can't see them going anywhere for a long time. One thing I definitely want to try next is Pixi Make-up. So if you have any suggestions please fell free to let know what in the comments below!

Amina xx

Hi Guys,

First of all Happy New Year! This is my first post of the year and I intended to take more of a break, however I was just so excited about this, that I only actually took one week off blogging in the end. But anyway, I am back and believe me you are not going to leave disappointed.

I was so lucky to get Charlotte Tilbury's Lip Masterclass (£130) from my sister for Christmas. If you follow me on Twitter you might have seen me repost my sister's photo teasing me. And I was beyond delighted when I opened it as I am a big fan of the Charlotte Tilbury range.

What is it? I hear you say. The Lip Masterclass is exclusive to Selfridges and is a collectionp products that have been expertly put together to create different coloured looks for all skin tones. In her own words, 'Three looks inspired by the magic of three cities.' New York, London and Shanghai.

The first lip look is The Perfect American Sweetheart Lip, it consists of K.I.S.S.I.N.G lipstick in American Sweetheart, Lip Cheat (liner) in Pink Venus, Lip Lustre (gloss) in Portobello. The overall look of the lip when these three are applied together or even separately is a rosey blush pink finish. The lip lustre doesn't have that much pigment to it which makes me think it is for use on top of the lipstick however it can be worn on its own to create a subtle pink shine to the lip too. The formula of the lipstick feels very rich and creamy and is so nice to wear.

The next lip look is The Perfect English Beauty Lip, which consists of Matte Revolution lipstick in English Rose, Lip Cheat in Pillow Talk, Lip Lustre in Seduction. This set is more of a nude bundle and has a slight hint of brown in it. It is actually one of my favourite out of the three, maybe it's because I'm The Perfect English Beauty... or maybe (more realistically) it's just because I'm obsessed with nudes. However I would say I prefer the K.I.S.S.I.N.G formula compared to the Matte Revolution formula, as it's a little more comfortable to wear. But the shape of the Matte Revolution lipsticks make it just perfect to get into the corners of the lips, and to swatch of course! I was also so excited to see the Pillow Talk Lip Cheat as part of the trio as I had been wanting to try this colour for ages. I think I might have to buy the lipstick to go with!

The final lip look is a little bit more dramatic and more suited to evening wear, The Perfect Shanghai Nights Lip. It consists of, Matte Revolution Lipstick in Shanghai Nights, Lip Cheat in Savage Rose, and Lip Lustre in Red Vixen. Out of the three, the Shanghai Nights Lipstick stands out. Such a beautiful deep berry red. Perfect, especially for this time of year. I didn't particularly like the lip lustre, however can see myself wearing it as a gloss over another red lipstick. 

Overall I can't recommend this Lip collection enough. It might sound like a lot of money, however if you are a Charlotte Tilbury addict then you are actually saving a lot of money by purchasing together. If these were sold alone or even as three individual lip sets it would cost well over £150 so is well worth it. I think there is a good range of colours too. I would have loved to have seen more of a shocking pink colour added to the mix but you can't have it all. I feel like this is just the start of my collection. I'm already in love with her blushers and next up I'm definitely going to be trying Charlotte's skincare. Let me know if there is anything else I need to put on my list in the comments below!

Amina xx

Hi guys,

I hope you all had a fabulous Christmas. This week I am bringing to you a make-up look for New Years Eve. This actually happens to be my christmas look as we never actually do anything for NYE, since having the kids. We are usually wrapped up warm in bed and get awoken at midnight by our neighbours' fireworks. At which point Aaron and I say happy new year to each other and fall straight back asleep. However if you do have something planned, then this make-up look will take you all through the evening into the early hours if needed. 

As I was rushed for time, I literally used three products after I had applied my base and brows. Firstly with the eyes. I used Luminous Bronze Light in my Hourglass Ambient Lighting Palette to create a bit of depth in the crease of my eye lid. I then applied the Stila Glitter & Glow in Smoky Storm half way over my lid. The sparkle was fantastic and gives the perfect amount of shine. This look is perfect for low lighting as whatever light their is just causes the glitter to sparkle even more. 

For the lips I decided to go with Creeper, a gorgeous matte red from my ColourPop Foxy collection. I can't emphasis enough how good the quality of these Ultra Matte Lips are. My lips lasted 8 hours without a top-up and all while eating non stop. I have always loved ColourPop but limit my purchases because of customs charges.  I don't always go for bold eyes and bold lips but with this look it just works.

I then used the Ambient Lighting palette all over my face! Diffused Light to set under my eyes, Hypnotic Strobe Light to highlight, Luminous Bronze Light again as a bronzer, and Surreal Halo as my blusher. This just tied the whole look together. I opted to go without lashes, but if you want a little added extra, then these Midnight Lashes from Lash Couture's Faux mink collection above would be perfect!

So that is the finished look. I hope you like it! I can't believe another year of blogging and life has gone by. It has been one which has had it's moments but I would be lying if I said I wasn't ready for  2018. Thanks to every one of you who read my blog, it means so much more than you know. I think however, after over 2 years of blogging, Ali & Her is more than ready for a small break. Fingers crossed for all of us that 2018 is one of the best yet. Looking forward to what's to come. Happy New Year! xx

Amina xx

Hey guys,

Christmas is literally around the corner and I can't wait.  Since I have had kids, Christmas has given us a new found excitement, however it has always been something which brings the family together and brings happiness and joy. Every year I see negative comments on social media about muslims having christmas trees and I seriously don't see what the problem is!? Since when was decorating your house a crime against religion?

 I am Muslim, we never used to have a tree when I was little, not necessarily because my parents said we couldn't, but just because that's just the way it was. Instead I can remember our presents always huddling around a big cheese plant my parents had and then pouring over and around the TV stand. Now in my own house and since having kids, that was one thing I knew I would like to have. Just putting the tree up and decorating it with christmas songs in the background has become a tradition and brings so much joy. I love getting involved with the christmas spirit.

Christmas is such a lovely time. Literally giving my loved ones gifts actually brings me so much happiness and getting to spend time with them, not just on christmas day but the weeks before and after, with most being off work, is the perfect end to the year.  Decorating my house is part of the fun, and that is it, just fun, so if it makes me happy I will continue to do it.

Christmas day is amazing as we all gather at my sister Romana's house, eat a proper Christmas dinner and enjoy each others company. So I thought I would put together a little 'get ready with me', of small bits and bobs I like to wear to get me ready for Christmas day. 

1. Christmas Jumper

Ok what Christmas day wouldn't be complete without a christmas jumper? In all honesty this is my daughter's as mine hasn't arrived yet! But mine is a gorgeous cobalt blue colour from ASOS and has Ho, Ho, Ho written on it in silver, red and gold sequins. It's the one time you can wear one (apart from Christmas Jumper Day) so we may as well make the most of it!

2. Glitter

 I always like to wear a bit of glitter on christmas day. It just gives that added extra and why not add a bit of sparkle. I think Christmas is all about being over the top. This year I will be wearing my Stila  Glitter & Glow in Smoky Storm, a lovely bronze/gold glitter. It literally sparkles so much and is the perfect way to do an easy glitter eye look.  You would have also seen these feature in my Stocking Filler Gift Guide post. It's not too late if you're stuck for ideas!

3. Red Lips

I find Christmas the perfect occasion for red lips. Red just goes with the festivities. I have to admit I don't always wear red lips on Christmas though, mainly because it is hard to maintain as we all know Christmas Day is all about eating, eating and more eating. So be prepared to reapply, but this year I might put in the extra effort and wear my favourite Chanel lipstick in Passion.

4. Jewellery

Keeping with the sparkling theme,  I have picked out a few key items to wear on the day. I'm all for bauble and christmas tree earrings too by the way, but this year I have picked out a couple of understated pieces from my collection. Firstly the lovely Pave Triangle Ear Climber from Stella & Dot, elegant but eye catching.  I will also wear his lovely ring from Accessorise which was bought for me as a Christmas present from my eldest sister, Sophia a few years back. I love the detail and it just shouts Christmas to  me!

5. Nails

Finally is the nails. Christmas Eve (or Christmas 'Eid', as my daughter calls it) also happens to be my sister Sheeba's birthday. So the whole family is always together celebrating. Without fail we will paint our nails and make them as festive as possible. We usually opt for some form of nail art, or glitter. But this year I was introduced to Kiss Impress Nails Fake Nails , and know for sure I will be wearing them! I love this set in particular as the burgundy colour is perfect but it also contains accent nails in a gold glitter . They are long lasting and just what I need to keep my hands looking pretty for a few days! (Also on offer for £5.32 from Superdrug at the moment so stock up!)

I literally can't wait! Hope you all have a fab Christmas and enjoy it whatever you are doing!

Amina xx

*contains PR samples. All opinions are my own.

Hey Guys,

Recently I received the most unexpected gift I think I have ever received. You may have seen how much I wanted this palette as I mentioned it in my Beauty Wishlist Post, and here I am, the owner of the beautiful Hourglass Ambient Lighting Edit (£69).

Let me start from the beginning. My best friends and I had met up to have a browse at the new Fenty collection at Harvey Nicks and to grab some food at The Mailbox. While we were browsing, the Hourglass palette caught my attention and I started telling my friend how amazing it was and how I had wanted it since it launched. I explained how I might put this on my Christmas wish list. Then out of nowhere my friend said she was going to buy it for herself! She said that she trusted my opinion and that it looked really pretty. This didn't strike me as unusual as my friend loves make-up just as much as me, so I shrieked with excitement. To be honest, I would be lying if I didn't say I was a little bit envious of her, but I couldn't justify the £69 price tag, as I was waiting for my mortgage application to go through at the time!

Anyway, we headed off to dinner and then towards the end of our little date we decided to get it out and have a closer look. While we were staring at it with wonder, my friend said ' I bought it for you, you know '. I was so confused, I must have mumbled 'Huh?' or something like that, and then my friend repeated that she bought it for me, as a way to say thank you for all my help over the past few months with her new business she is launching. I was, and still am baffled. I couldn't accept and wouldn't accept until she was ready to leave it lying there at which point... I accepted. I think this is probably the nicest real surprise I have ever had, I was so shocked, I think I wanted to cry. I was confused at how generous and lovely she could be to me for doing something that any friend in my eyes would have done. So this is the story that goes with this review and makes this palette that little bit more special for me. Thank You Sonia.

Now for the review. This palette has lived up to all the expectations I had placed on it. I hadn't read any reviews, I knew from the first time I saw it, I wanted it and had placed expectations on it myself.  Firstly with the price, it might seem expensive, however it is quite good value considering purchasing a power individually costs £40. In the palette you get 6 for £69, even though they are slightly smaller, it is still very much worth it. 

What I love about this palette is that it has every powder you need to get a complete look on your face.nFrom top to bottom, left to right, you have Diffused Light, which is a finishing powder. I use this under my eyes and on the T-Zone section, the areas that need an extra bit of setting and highlight, but it can be used all over the face. Then we have the Hypnotic Strobe Light, which can be used as a highlighter. I use this on the cheekbones, brow bone, down my nose and on my cupid's bow. The last shade on the top row is Dim Light, again meant to be used as a finishing power, however because it is slightly darker I use it more in the contours of my face like the hollow of my cheek. 

On the bottom row we have Luminous Bronze Light, a stunning bronzer which I use around the top of and across my forehead, over my nose and around the jawline. It can be used as a blush too. The final two colours are the Surreal Halo and Pure Effect. Both are intended to use as blushers, Surreal Halo a deeper plum colour and Pure Effect being a pretty pink. I tend to use Surreal Halo on the outside of the cheek and then dab Pure effect right on the apple of my cheeks. What I am left with is a radiant skin, emanating vibrance. The effect is stunning.

I love how versatile the palette is, you can layer colours together or wear on their own and still notice a difference in your makeup and skin. The palette can be worn from day to night with more or less colours being used to suit the occasion. The powders are long lasting and compliment one another so well. Honestly, it is my FAVOURITE beauty product of 2017. Have you tried any Hourglass products? What do you recommend I try next?

Amina xx