Here's my gift guide for this Mother's Day. To all you fabulous mums out there, I hope you get spoilt rotten on this day. You deserve it. Being a mum is one of the hardest jobs in the world so you deserve all the praise you get. If you're struggling for things to buy, I hope this guide helps. These are all things I would love as a mum, and I'm sure my mum would love them too.

This is a beautiful skincare package that comes gift wrapped, ready for Mother's Day. It contains a cleanser, toner and cream, all scented with frankincense and rose (heaven in a bottle). It's perfect for anyone who wants to add something to their skincare routine or try something new. I know for a fact my mum doesn't use a cleanser or toner, but she loves her beauty products so I think they would be perfect for her. AA Skincare is a brand that is new to me but I can honestly say I am loving all the products I am trying. Such good quality and for a great price.

Flowers just go hand in hand with Mother's Day, but why not mix it up a bit with this beautiful birdcage planter from Lidl. I thought it was so beautiful and a great alternative to a bouquet. When the flowers die, you could replace them with more or try something different, like a big candle. I would be delighted to receive it. I can just see myself using that birdcage for a blog prop! 

These Burt's Bees lipsticks look absolutely fab and the fact they are 100% natural just draws me towards them. At £9.99 (10% going to British Bee Keeping Association) I would say they are pretty reasonably priced. The shade 'Blush Basin' particularly appeals to me, but what's fab is that the brand offers a shade selector on its website, where you can input details based on your skin colour, the occasion and your mood and it picks a shade for you, which I thought was quite fun!

4. Primark 'Tea-rrific Mum' Mug and Coaster Set (£3.00)

I love a good mug and there happens to be a fair amount of 'Mummy Mugs' on the market around this time of year, but I kind of fell in love with this one. You get a mug and a lovely coaster all for just £3! What a bargain. I actually picked this out for myself as a Mother's Day gift, as my old mummy mug got a chipped (RIP) and my tea hasn't been the same ever since. Let's hope this one lives up to the reputation of the last!

I recently got gifted a free LVL treatment and I was over the moon. Exactly what I needed. This treatment is a life changer and is the perfect treat for us busy mums. Let me explain why. Firstly, because the treatment itself only takes 45 minutes - all you need to do is lie down and close your eyes. Heck, I'd  pay £100 pound to get 45 minutes of peace, but that's another blog post! It also leaves you with beautiful lashes that don't need any mascara, which again is going to save you a few minutes in a day. Is it just me or are your eyelashes the thing you spend longest on? I do! It leaves you with immediate results - lashes that are low maintenance and last up to eight weeks. What more could you ask for? I have had this treatment before (click here for before and after pictures) and can't recommend it enough.

If you fancy splashing the cash then I think these initial pendants are beautiful. They are made with real diamond and look so dainty. I love personalised items and think this would make the perfect gift for any mum. For a first time mum, if buying as a gift for a friend, or partner, it would be nice to get the baby's initial. They are available in rose gold, gold and silver, I think the rose gold is my favourite.

If you read my last post about beauty sleep (click here) you will know that for the month of March you can get the Dr Botanicals Advanced Purifying Night Masque for £19.99 (down from £67!), using code ALIBLOG. It would make the perfect treat for those skincare lovers, as this overnight treatment leaves your skin looking super soft and fresh.

There's nothing better than getting away and having some relaxing 'me time'. I have been looking for a fab spa package to treat my mum with (and myself) and I think I might have found the perfect one. For £82 per person (Sunday Night Break) you get an overnight stay in a classic Hilton room at the Hilton Birmingham Metropole, with breakfast, full access to leisure facilities, including heated pool, steam room, sauna and jacuzzi, a choice of a 60 minute treatment, Neal & Wolf Shampoo and conditioners and an Elemis Taster Sachet. For more deals across the UK follow them on twitter @TheOceanRooms.

So these are a few of my Mother's Day gift picks. When selecting gifts, my rule is to always buy something I would be happy to receive myself, and I would be delighted with any of the above. I hope you like them too! I think I might hint to my husband that he needs to check my blog out and maybe he'll get the picture. Have you got your Mother's Day gifts sorted yet?

Amina xx

Hi Guys,

As it's National Bed Month I thought I would share some tips and products I use to get a good night's sleep. Sleep is so important to me. I'm one of those people who needs at least eight hours (if not more), otherwise I'm just grumpy all day. That said, it's crazy how you adapt when you have kids. You have no choice but to function on three hour's sleep sometimes, but hopefully following these few tips will still at least make you feel like you've had more!

The first thing I will advise is turning off your TV, phone, or any type of electronic device at least an hour before you plan to sleep. Allow yourself time to wind down. Having a sleep routine is so important and just doing this one simple thing will make such a difference.

Next, I have a bath. I didn't start having evening baths until I had kids. I found with my children that if I bathe them at night they sleep so much better, so I took it upon myself to try it too. I have mentioned before how I love my baths, but I can't emphasise enough how the essential oils and ingredients in bath bombs, oils or salts actually get absorbed by the skin and can relax you. Recently I've been loving the Guardians of the Forest bath bomb by, you guessed it, Lush. It is so calming and contains rosewood oil, so just smells awesome. It feels like you are literally transported to a mystical forest - it's brilliant.

Once out of my bath I then spritz L'Occitane Relaxing Pillow Mist over and around my pillow. This contains 100% natural essential oils like lavender, bergamot, mandarin and geranium. I'm sure I have spoken about this mist on my blog before but it literally relaxes you straight away and I've found it gives me such a deep sleep. It's perfect for those days when you have had a really long day, and are feeling a little bit over tired and irritable. It knocks you straight out.The recommendation is to spray this 15 minutes before going to bed so it is given time to create an atmosphere.

While I wait for the mist to set in, I have recently been applying my Dr Botanicals Advanced Purifying Overnight Masque. This product was sent to me for review and at first I was a little bit wary of the lack of smell with the product. Actually, if there is one negative about the product I would say this is it. However the results it produces are pretty spectacular. You wake up with skin as soft as a baby's bum.  The skin is said to regenerate faster while we sleep, and that is what the jojoba oil, sweet almond oil and papaya, that the masque contains, allow your skin to do. 

The consistency is quite thick and when you apply it onto the skin it doesn't rub in as easily as you would imagine. However, as you give it time, it sinks into the skin and leaves your skin feeling tight, similar to any other masque. It needs about 10 minutes before I am comfortable to lie on my pillow without leaving any residue. Once you wake up in the morning you cleanse as usual. At £67 you may think it's a little pricey, but lucky for you, I have a code which can get you the product for just £19.99! Click the link above and apply the code 'ALIBLOG' at checkout. It's only available until the end of the month though, so be quick. It would make a perfect Mother's Day gift!

For the next 10 minutes I reflect and meditate. I sometimes open up my diary and write down any of my concerns or thoughts good or bad. This then allows my mind to be clear and gives me time to meditate. I try to clear my mind of everything and basically think of nothing. It can be quite hard to 'think of nothing' and some days are easier than others, but by the time this is done, I find the pillow mist has worked its magic and the face masque is dry. I'm now ready to sleep.

And that is it my loves. If you have any tips please feel free to share below and here's to a great night's sleep!

Amina xx



*contains PR gifts. All opinions are my own.

Hi Guys,

So I thought I would do a post all about a fantastic date night I had with the hubby! Yes we actually had a night to ourselves, can you believe it? We've had a few in the past but all we ever end up doing is going for a meal and these things aren't really planned very much in advance. But I was lucky enough to be invited to Varekai by Cirque du Soleil, and rather than taking the kids (as they're a little bit young yet) we thought we would make a night of it. 

We started off the evening by leaving the kids at their grandparents and then went for a lovely meal at Oodles N Noodles in Star City. One of my favourite restaurants! We then headed to the Genting Arena which is where the show was.

The show is described as 'an acrobatic tribute to the nomadic soul' and the actual meaning of Varekai is 'wherever'. As tributes go this one was pretty spectacular! I was blown away by the flexibility and strength of the performers, and the set design was just beautiful and felt very surreal and ethereal at times.





The performance follows a storyline, which is based round an angel who loses its wings and all the elements, earth, fire, wind and water play a part. The acrobatics were mind blowing, I saw things and contortions that I didn't even know the human body could do! This was by far my favourite bit of the show. The show somehow managed to capture many emotions, there was sadness, happiness, pity, and humour all intertwined which left me feeling a bit confused at times too - perhaps because the storyline was a bit hard to follow at times! A special mention has to go to the live singers and band who performed beautiful folk music throughout the whole performance, which really brought it to life. I think my husband enjoyed this element most!

If you get a chance I would urge you to visit as there are still tickets available up until the 5th March in Birmingham and they are in Nottingham and Glasgow in the following months. Definitely worth watching if you are looking for something a little bit different. It has definitely inspired me to not be so boring with date nights and get myself up and out the door! Also, I think it's perfect for something to do as family, if you have children over the age of 10.

Amina xx


*PR tickets. All opinions are my own.

Hi guys,

Ok so I got a bit carried away with the title, but imagine singing along to the sound of music. This is another way of me telling you these are my February favourites. Or things I got given/purchased in February that make me happy!

First of all let me start with these Sebamed products. I was kindly sent these products and have previously used the Sebamed liquid face and body wash as a product to clean my make-up brushes (click here for post). However I have recently been using the products on myself rather than my brushes and have been pleasantly surprised. The Limited Edition Grapefruit Shower Gel is so refreshing and perfect for a morning shower. The soap is alkaline free and is perfectly suited to dry or sensitive skin as the ph is balanced to suit all skin types. It even suits my daughter's skin and she has eczema. The stand out product for me though has to be the Lip Defense balm because it is a dupe for the MAC Prep & Prime lip. I use this lip primer on all my clients and both products contain Vitamin E which I think is what makes it so luxurious. I will be swapping over to Sebamed from now on as it's a fraction of the price too!

Next up we have this amazing Mermaid Glow Highlighter from Lottie which was an absolute bargain at £5.99 from ASOS. Now I hate to do this to you, but I can no longer find it to buy anywhere! But I'm sure if you keep your eye out they will have them back in stock in no time. What they do have though is a fabulous rainbow eyeshadow palette which is definitely on my wish list! To be honest, I bought the highlighter purely for aesthetic reasons. I haven't even swatched it yet, it is just too beautiful to use. So I can't comment on its wearability yet, but watch this space!

Now onto my all time loves; my lashes that I always find myself reaching for; my go to lash (you get the picture), Nouveau Lashes Glamour lashes in style 4. Now to be honest, these can be quite dramatic when you apply them, but what I love doing with these is customising them. They are so thick and luxurious I get my scissors out and cut away to make whatever eyelash I want. Call me a strip lash hairdresser if you will. I can't get enough.

Is any one else obsessed with face masks? Well I am. I can't seem to get enough of them these days. The ease of just throwing one on. But it doesn't stop at face masks. I got these feet masks, lip masks and under eye masks! Ok I need to stop, I know, but they all just leave my skin glowing and so soft. The lip and feet masks are by Starskin and are available from ASOS. The under eye masks are that little bit more special as they contain 24K gold. Yes, gold! They left my skin feeling super smoothe and promise to reduce dark circles with continued use. I was lucky enough to receive a five-pack and used three within one week! Addictive! You can purchase these direct from Jamelaskincare.co.uk