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

Hey Guys,

This week I thought I would share with you some perfumes that I have recently purchased, or been gifted, that I am loving. It's funny how it's not until you do a blog post, you realise how many perfumes you have. But it just so happened that I had run out of a few perfumes, and it coincided with my birthday, so I decided to treat myself. I'll stop trying to justify myself now.

Perfumes are definitely a very personal thing, however I have got a mixed bag of scents coming up, so make sure you have a look through to see if anything suits you!

Jo Malone London - Woodsage & Sea Salt (Cologne, 30ml, £44)

So first up I have this amazing Jo Malone Cologne in Woodsage & Sea Salt. I was lucky enough to receive a voucher from my friends for my birthday, so decided to splurge on this beautiful perfume and an accompanying shower gel in Peony & Blush Suede. I felt very spoiled when I attended the store as I managed to get a lovely arm and hand massage, which added a little bit of luxury to my experience. And this is totally what this brand is - luxury. Because of this you can expect the scent to linger for ages and to be honest their scents are very original and not your average. I opted for  Woodsage & Sea Salt, as I love woody fragrances with a little bit of spice. It has a top note of ambrette seed which gives a very opulent feel and a base note of sage which makes it very earthy and fresh. What makes it even better is it is unisex, so the hubby and I can match (barf!)

Monsoon - Rose Gold (EDP, 30ml, £24)*

Carrying on with the luxurious feel, next up we have Monsoon's signature fragrance - Rose Gold. You all know what I'm going to say... ROSE GOLD! *Heart eyes emoji* As soon as I saw the packaging I was like forget what it smells like, this is going pride of place on my dresser, and it hasn't moved since! But the beauty doesn't stop at the packaging, it truly is a lovely fragrance too. When I sprayed it, I loved it straight away as it just oozed sophistication. It is a feminine scent, with vanilla, musk and amber notes. It has a fruity accord with notes of mandarin and lemon, which when combined produce a more-ish fragrance. It's definitely one I would wear on date night and I can see myself using for a very long time - it has become a favourite.

Accessorize - Lovelily (EDP, 75ml, £19)*

Now for another great addition to my collection, Lovelily by Accessorize. When I saw the packaging I immediately thought it would be a very floral and sweet scent, which is totally not me. However I was pleasantly surprised at how wearable this fragrance actually is. I thought it would be over-bearing, and a little heady, but it's not at all. I would describe the overall smell as floral, as it has hints of jasmine and vanilla. It's quite a fun fragrance and I could definitely see myself wearing it when I go out shopping or when meeting my best girl friends for a catch up. It's quite versatile, in that I have also found myself spritzing my little girls with it and it would be perfect as a gift too. I love the packaging and how the bottle is hexagonal. The little flower in the lid just adds that extra bit of excitement and I like how the pink follows down into the bottle to resemble a stem.

Primark Private collection - Rose Oud (EDP, 100ml, £8)

Now when I say bargain, I actually mean BARGAIN. Seeing how this product is eau de parfum (EDP), meaning it has a higher percentage of pure perfume compared to eau de toilette (EDT) or eau de cologne (EDC), this is value for money.  I love rose-scented products and had heard so much about these in the blogosphere, that I had to get my hands on whatever stock Primark had, which just so happened to be Rose Oud and Jasmine & Honey scents. Rose Oud is not for the faint-hearted, it is a very strong smell which is quite opulent and decadent. It is floral with quite a woody top note. It reminds me of sandal wood incense and I'm still not sure the scent is for me. However, the price is for me and it had to be bought. In terms of staying power, I wouldn't say it lasts quite as long as other EDPs I have, so maybe it's on the lower percentage of pure perfume, but it is definitely worth a purchase!

Primary Private Collection - Jasmine & Honey (EDP, 20ml, £3)

I bought this perfume because of the fantastic size it comes in, I thought it would be perfect for my hand bag when I need a quick top up and it really has been. Again I bought this because it was one of the only scents that were left but I have really enjoyed using it. It is not a stand out scent, in that I don't think it will get people asking you what you are wearing, if you know what I mean. However it is a very pleasant smell which is quite sweet, zesty and refreshing at the same time.

So those are my recent perfume buys and none of them really break the bank (well apart from the Jo Malone), but I think I also have some great alternative options to the standard designer brands. What's your favourite perfume? Have you tried any of these recently?

Amina xx

*PR Gift. All opinions are my own.