Hi Guys,

This week I thought I would do a little tutorial on a non-invasive way of getting bigger lips. That is, making your lips look bigger with a little bit of make-up and lip-plumping gloss. As I get older my lips seem to be getting thinner! I don't think I would ever have lip filler, mainly because I can't afford to but also because I'm a bit worried about the pain. However never say never! In the meantime though I have worked out a great little routine to get my lips looking plump. 

If you follow me on Instagram (@aminaali_mua) , you might have taken part in a little poll I did last week where I asked if I had had lip injections. The results didn't surprise me to be honest, as most of my followers knew I hadn't, however I did fool a few of you and that shows how good this product really is. So if you are interested in having fuller lips without the filler then read on!

Before lip plumping.

The first step to fuller lips is to use dark lip liner. That is one that is maybe one or two shades darker than your skin tone. I would suggest opting for a cool toned colour if you are a similar lip colour to me. The idea here is to over line your lip slightly. Going for a cool tone colour has the same reasoning behind contouring. You are almost giving your lip a new shape and size so you want it to be in the same shade tone as your lip colour.

Next up is the lip plumper I was talking about! It's the Too Faced Lip Injection Extreme (£22) You literally apply this to the lips and as soon as it comes in contact with the skin the ingredients start to react causing your lips to sting and in turn become more plump. It is important to only apply to the lip as if applied to the skin round the lip redness can occur. 93% of people tested sad their lips were fuller and more plump, 97% said it delivered instant results and 97% said their lips felt moisturised. One thing I would like to say is that the immediate plump effect doesn't last very long, maximum ten minutes. However the lip plumping is also supposed to be long term so I will let you know how that goes. One thing I will say, though even when they plumpness reduces the smoothness stays and my lips continue to feel moisturised. I also want to give a quick mention to the iridescent packaging- LOVE!

Finally once the plumper has been applied. I pat my lips on some tissue paper to take off the excess gloss and apply a nude lip colour which is a few shades lighter than the lip liner. Once again, pick a nude to suit your skin tone. I am wearing the Too Faced Melted Liquified Longwear Lipstick in Nude (£19). So the lip line and lip colour are blended nicely I used a lip brush to blend. As I prefer my top lip to look a little bigger I tend to take my lip product higher than the cupids bow for a more full look. And here is the finished result!

So there you have it! Three steps to bigger looking lips! Let me know if you have any other tips for bigger looking lips. in the comments below!

Amina xx

Hi Guys,

A few weeks ago the lovely blogger Safiyah from SafiyahTasneem.com gave me an opportunity I couldn't miss out on! She asked if I would like to collaborate on a post and of course I said yes! So first things first, thank you to Safiyah for giving me the opportunity to do this post and sending me these goodies! If you haven't checked out her website be sure to head over and have a look. Her make-up looks are everything and as a fellow make-up artist she is very knowledgeable! You can follow her on Twitter and Instagram @SafiyahTasneem. 

When I received this package I was so excited as I had seen this release all over social media and wanted it! For whatever reason I didn't end up purchasing it, probably because of finances. I'm an addict you know. A make-up addict that is and need to keep myself in check sometimes. Anyway, I was so over the moon I practically squealed. You get the gist.

I have been a fan of Kat Von D from her LA Ink days, but don't actually own anything from her make-up range, so couldn't wait to see if it was worth the hype! I own a few Too Faced liquid mattes, but have never used their eyeshadow, so was equally intrigued to try. 

Let's start with the palettes. The combined palette is based around the idea of love and how we are 'better together'. Each side of the heart is beautifully decorated, but in contrasting colours to make distinction between the two sides. They connect magnetically down the middle, thus making it easy to detach when travelling, for example. 

The stand out colour for me in the Kat Von D palette has to be 'Swoon' - it's so vibrant and not something you see everyday. All the eyeshadows in this side of the palette are very pigmented and quite creamy in texture which makes them super bendable. It surprised me that the eyeshadows in each palette were actually quite different in quality. I expected them to be the same, probably because it's one palette, but let me tell you, they were not!

The colours in the Too Faced palette are very pretty and my favourite is 'Heart of Gold', a beautiful green metallic gold. However I found the eyeshadows themselves slightly more powdery, with less colour pay off. I'm not sure if this is because it's a different brand and formula or if it's the colours that are harder to work with. Either way I was definitely more drawn to the consistency of the Kat Von D shadows.

The great thing about this set is that you get two fabulous palettes and some cult favourites thrown in for good measure. I'm talking about the The Too Faced 'Better than Sex' Mascara and the Kat Von D Tattoo Liner. I found the mascara to be good for lengthening, but not so much for volume, which is a shame, as I had heard such good things about it. I wanted it to lift my lashes more. One thing I did really like about it, was the weight of the tube, as it felt so comfortable to hold and the shape of the wand is curved to fit your lashes perfectly. 

What blew me away was the waterproof Tattoo Liner. The liner itself is actually a brush - fine hairs that have been tapered to a point, meaning you can get the finest or thickest of lines. It gives you so much control, I was even able to sign my name with it! 

I couldn't finish without trying a quick make-up look and I ended up mostly using the Kat Von D side. I applied 'Yours' over the lid with 'Darling' over the top of it, in the centre of the eyelid. On top of 'Darling', I added a bit of glitter for extra sparkle. On the lower lash line I used 'Swoon' and added a black kohl to the waterline. I then applied the Tattoo Liner over my lid and Too Faced 'Better than Sex' Mascara on the lashes. I would definitely recommend this palette and what's great is you can get it on sale from Debenhams right now for £46.50, which is pretty good going as the mascara and liner are £19 and £14 on their own!

I hope you like the look! Let me know what you think in the comments below!

Amina xx