Hey everyone,

I was recently sent the Pixi Retinol and Jasmine Collection* and thought I would share it with you as I know a lot of people may be interested, as Retinol is one of the many skin care products that has actually been proven to work on fine lines. Retinol is part of the Vitamin A family and it directly increases the production of collagen and cell turnover, hence giving you more youthful and even looking skin. If you are anywhere over the age of 25, it is definitely recommended as this is when the skin begins to mature. As I am currently breastfeeding, I am unable to use it in my routine and therefore unable to review it, so instead I thought I would give you a quick run down on what each product has to offer as this would be a great starting point if wanting to introduce retinol to your routine.

Hey my loves,

This week, I'm bringing to you my birth story for baby number three. I gave birth to Lana Rose on Tuesday 15th October at 12.15am, weighing 7 pounds 5 ounces. The birth probably didn't go as well as I had imagined it would due to how quickly she came, but honestly, when I take everything into consideration, it could have been a lot worse. I thought I would also share what I used to help get me there.

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,

This week I thought I would bring to you a little round up of what me and my family got up to in the summer holidays. The children are back to school now, so I have finally had the opportunity to write about our little getaway. This year, as I am quite heavily pregnant, we decided to go on holiday in the UK instead of abroad and we picked Wales as we absolutely love it there. One place we hadn't visited before was North Wales, so when we heard good reviews about the Haven based there, we decided to book it and give it a go.

Hey guys,

It has been absolutely ages since I last did a favourites post so I thought it was about time as I have been using a few new products recently. The products are a mixture of skincare and make-up and are all amazing so that's why they made the post. 

First up we have a few make-up products I picked up from Pat McGrath Labs when I was in London a few week ago. Selfridges London currently have a pop-up which I'm hoping will become permanent across Selfridges stores as the make-up is beautiful. I have been waiting quite a while since PML was released online in the UK as I wanted to go and swatch products in store. If you follow me on Instagram you would have seen my arm full of swatches and I spent a good hour in the store going through all the products and picking what I wanted carefully. 

I purchased the Fetish Eyes Mascara (£26), which is amazing and building length, volumizing and curling lashes. It literally does all three. You can also achieve different looks with it depending on how many coats you put on so I'm currently obsessed. I also purchased the Lust Gloss in Future Femme (£25) which is a lovely pink shade and highly moisturising. It has little flecks of glitter and I'm partial to a bit of glitter so it was definitely coming home with me. My favourite purchase has to be the Highlighter & Balm duo in Golden (£37). On one side you are given a transparent balm which is packed full of aloe, argan oil and hyaluronic acid. This gives such a natural healthy glow to the skin. I love wearing it on those no make-up days where I just want my skin to look extra dewy. The fact it has so much skincare packed in too make me love it even more. I apply to my lips and they are instantly hydrated. Similarly the gold side is also a balmy texture which makes it perfect for blending into the skin seamlessly. It literally melts into the skin to leave a glow from within. I am so happy with my purchases and love the branding on the packaging too. Pat has nailed it when it comes to her makeup collection.

Next up we have a make-up item I have been using regularly which is the Eye Majic Eyeshadow pads ** (£19.99). These are fantastic little sponge pads which have eyeshadow already applied. You simply apply directly to the lid and drag and the eyeshadow is then transferred to your eyes. Once applied I then run over with a eyeshadow blending blush just to soften some of the lines and it's as simple as that. It saves me so much time and the finished look is really effective. I have a whole tutorial over on my Instagram highlights so feel free to pop over and have a look! You get four different colours in a pack and there are 20 pairs so a great way to try a range of products.

With my skincare I have found my skin becoming more and more sensitive recently and I have even been breaking out in spots. Some are so painful I have never had spots like it before. Overall my skin has been lacking lustre and I tend to blame it on my hormones and they are a bit all over the place at the moment. Whenever my skin is feeling really bad I know I can rely on the Image Skincare Biomolecular Hydrating Recovery Mask ** (£41.95, 5 pack). This is the one sheet mask I know works and have mentioned it on the blog before. It contains volcanic water, red algae, amino acids and gives you brighter skin in one application. I was also recently sent the Image skincare Ormedic Balancing Gel Masque* (£28) which has been really helping with my sensitivity. I can see the redness in my spots calm down and it is very cooling on the skin so perfect for aggravated skin or even skin that may have been treated for example with laser or waxing. The combination of both of these products is great.

Now could I have a favourites post without including a Pixi product? the answer is no. One of my favourite skincare brands which your probably already know! I was so happy to recently find out the Glow range had been extended to include a cleanser, moisturising gel, and serum to name a few. I have spoken about the Glow Tonic many times on my blog and raved about how it is my favourite toner. So when I was sent the rest of the range I was ecstatic. I have been loving the Glow Tonic Serum* (£26) as it literally just continues to add that radiance and glow in a more potent formula. It is full of Glycolic acid which is the holy grail for exfoliating skin and regenerating new skin cells. It has particularly been good for my scarring that I have been getting from these dreadful hormonal spots.

Finally what I can't live without is my Dermalogica Prisma Protect SPF 30 Moisturiser* (£58, 50ml) I actually have been using this every day come rain or shine however especially now with summer coming up SPF is so important! The prism protect is perfect because it is mixed in with a moisturiser so need for separate products. And I don't know about you but I am struggling for shelf space in my beauty cabinet so that's a bonus right there. It leaves no sticky residue and absorbs straight into the skin. A great product.

So this completes my recent favourites. I hope you enjoy and please let me know some of your favourites in the comments below.

Amina xx

*PR Gift. Al opinions are my own.

** PR gift with affiliate link.

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 everyone,

For the past few weeks I have been using the new Clinique Even Better Refresh Foundation* (£30). If you know me well, you will know by now that I don't really like thicker or full coverage foundations, mainly because of how they feel on my skin. This is a medium to high coverage foundation but the reason it appealed to me so much is because it boasts a whole host of skincare within it. 

Hi guys,

So it hasn't been long since I did a Pixi post however I did mention last time that I had never tried their make-up! So to my surprise I was actually sent a PR package from the lovely Pixi by Petra team, which included some of their new Eye Reflection Shadow Palettes* (£24) and a fantastic set of brushes*. I have been using them so much I decided to do a post on them. The palette contain a mix of metallic, shimmer, and matte shades so there is definitely something for everyone.

Hey everyone!

This week I am brining you a review of the T.W.O.K London Flawless Filter Foundation*. This was not a brand I had heard of until recently but the more I read about it the more I like! T.W.O.K stands for The Woman of Kolor and their foundations are made with people of colour (POC) in mind. It's great to see because it can be really hard for POC to find foundations that suit their tone, so I love that these are specifically tailored to match a variety of skin tones. It's great that brands are taking this into consideration a lot more, With the likes of Huda Beauty and Fenty Beauty releasing 30 and 40 colours in their first foundation releases. But I also have to highlight MAC who have been keeping it real for years!

Hi Everyone,

Recently I attended an event with Stila cosmetics for their Vivid & Vibrant collection and it really blew me away. I am such a fan of Stila as you may have seen from previous posts. There was something about this collection that really appealed to me. The collection is based around jewel tones and every is luxurious and opulent in both colour and texture. I absolutely love the liquid eyeshadows as they provide a quick and easy way to make a statement without the need to use a brush, but there are also beautiful eyeshadow duo's in this collection that give such a beautiful effect so there is something for everyone no matter what type of product you like. 

 I decided to create a day to night look for you using some of their fab products. The first is this really simple shimmery eye look. To be honest this can be worn both at night and in the day, the sparkle on it is like no other. All I simply did was use the Heaven's Dew All Over Shimmer* and applied to my lid with my finger. I then slightly blended it out to the brow bone and applied a black kohl liner and lashes. It is so simple and took me less than 10 minutes but such a pretty eye look. I then added some of the all over shimmer to my cheek bone for extra added effect. This could be paired with both a neutral or bold lip. What I love about the All Over Shimmer is that it is just that! You can apply this anywhere, arms, legs , collar bone, literally wherever you want. It gives the loveliest sparkle and the formula is beautiful.

To create a bit of drama and to take this from day to evening all I simply did was apply the Shimmer & Glow liquid Eyeshadow in Vivid Smoky Quartz* to the lid and underneath the lower lash line to frame the eye. I applied this on top of the Heaven's Dew All over Glimmer. I made sure not to go to high on the lid so the shimmer could still be seen around the brow bone. I then applied a slightly thicker liner to the lash line and did this all with the lashes still on! The darker colour makes it a little more dramatic and perfect for an evening look. I also love the fact I didn't need to use a single brush for any of the eye looks I created!

So this is how you can go from day to night with Stila, literally only using two of their products. However I also couldn't help myself and created a look that was a little bit more creative using the Vivid and Vibrant campaign images for inspiration. Her I simply used the Shimmer & Glow Liquid Eyeshadows in Vivid Smoky Quartz and Vivid Sapphire* as graphic liners. This just shows how versatile they are as a product and I can't wait to add to my collection. I hope you like. Have you ever tried any of the Stila products before? What should I try next?

Amina xx