Hi Guys,

The moment Huda hinted at this I knew I needed to have it. If you don't know Huda Kattan from HudaBeauty.com then first of all where have you been? And second, she is one of the most famous beauty bloggers/vloggers around and has turned her blog into a beauty empire with the help of her two sisters Mona and Alya. They sell amazing lashes, a stunning eyeshadow palette, gorgeous liquid lipsticks and now this 3D highlight set is the newest edition to the make-up range.

Two editions of this set have been released - Pink Sands and Golden Sands. I went for Golden Sands as I felt like it would suit my skin tone more. The packaging is quite sturdy with plastic inside and a hardened cardboard on the outside. I like the fact that when you tilt the package into the light, Huda's eyelids and cheek bone are metallic and reflect the light. If you are intrigued by the '3D' in the title, let me explain. The idea behind the 3D aspect of the palette is that all four pans can be used together to sculpt the face and give more shape to the cheekbones. 

Fiji is a golden cream finish product and the idea is to apply this to the cheekbone and then set it with Seychelles to really bring out the highlight. Tahiti can then be used as the contour underneath the cheekbone and Zanzibar on the cheek for a flush. Using all four together therefore creates a 3D look. That said, I don't particularly like to use metallic colours as a contour, so personally wouldn't use Tahiti to sculpt. I do love it as a bronzer however, and think the colour is perfect for my skin tone. I am more likely to use the pans individually rather than all together, although I might for a special occasion.

Something I really liked about the palette was that it was not as pigmented as I thought it would be. Yes you heard right. I thought the product would be really pigmented, but as you can see from the swatches, it actually gives a lovely skin finish effect, and is not too over bearing. It's also really build -able, so for more pigment I could apply Fiji and then Seychelles over the top or use a little fixing spray before applying the highlighter.

The colour that steals the show for me has to be Fiji. The texture of the cream is so smooth, and understandably so, as it has pearls within the formula which help reflect the light. It can really be rubbed into the skin to give a radiance and glow. I can definitely see myself using this frequently as the colours are so wearable. Even the powders have a smoothness to them which help them to sit and blend into the skin that much better. The palette doesn't come cheap though, and at £40 (Cult Beauty) it is £10 per highlighter, but its the perfect all rounder as it has a good range of colours.

While I was shopping I couldn't help but buy a few other treats to make the most of the free shipping offer. So I ended up buying Huda Beauty Special Effects Liquid Matte in Showgirl (£18) and Lime Crime Diamond Crusher in Lit (£15). The swatches speak for themselves. Showgirl is a beautiful red metallic matte and Lit also dries matte which leaves the glitter on top just sparkling even more. 

So that was my little (big) Cult Beauty haul that made my week, but I am definitely on a spending ban from now on! What do you think of my purchases? Will you be buying the Huda Beauty Palette or do you have it already?

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

Hey guys,

Hope you are all great and enjoying the little bit of sunshine we have been treated to over the past few weeks. I have been changing up my make-up and skin routine recently as the sun is making more of an appearance. Bye bye mattes and hello glow! So I thought I would do a post on what I am loving this spring. There's also a chance to win one of my current favourites so be sure to scroll all the way down.

1. L'Oreal Infallible Blush Paint in Ambers

So L'Oreal are killing it at the moment. They have so many fab new releases and when I saw this I just knew I had to get it. They have two versions: one in Pink and one in Ambers. I chose Ambers because I liked the mix of orange and pink blushes and thought this would suit my skin tone better. The blushes are a mixture of matte, satin and sparkly so you're set for any occasion! And at £14.99 it's a steal.

2. Pixi Glow Mist 

This beautiful skin mist is enriched with 21 natural oils and gives you a glow like no other. Sometimes I spritz when I'm having a make-up free day and sometimes I spray over my finished make-up to give me that extra glow. The finish on this is just beautiful, it gives you dewy, summer-ready skin in a matter of sprays. I also have to give a special mention to the spray nozzle, mystifier, spritzer thing-a-ma-jig as it just sprays so evenly. The worst thing is, when you try and spray a face mist and you get squirted in the eye. No chance with this.

3. Starskin Walk Of fame Foot Mask Socks

Come on girls, now that the warmer weather is coming we know we all need to get our feet sandal-ready. I put away my boots the other day that I have worn for about 4 months straight. Then I caught a glimpse of the pale, dry feet that haven't seen the light of day in ages and was horrified. Luckily I had bought this foot mask in the Asos sale and it leaves your feet super soft and ready to be seen!

4. Merumaya Melting Cleansing Balm*

Let me just tell you now, hands down this cleanser is fantastic. You can apply this straight to your face even if you have a full face of make-up, and as you rub it in, it is so creamy, it literally melts your make-up away. It can also be used as a moisturiser. It is so nourishing and altogether fabulous. I've tried a lot of cleansers in my time but this one is special. You can get 100ml tube for £16.50. 

5. Johnny Loves Rosie Body Stickers*

Johnny Loves Rosie is a beautiful jewellery brand that I discovered when I went to Blog Con in March, but in particular I'm loving their body stickers at the moment, especially as festival season is  almost upon us. I can definitely see some great make-up looks to come using these, as they add a little bit of fun. You'll be Glasto-ready before you know it!

6. Jouer Longer-Wear Lip Topper in Rose Gold

Like I said before, it's time to ditch the mattes for shimmer and shine, and my recent purchase from Jouer does just that! It's the most beautiful lip topper and it literally brightens my day when I wear it. Apply it over a lipstick or wear it on your bare lip - it's stunning either way!

7. Oyster Brighteing Eye Serum*

Oyster is new skincare brand that know what it is they are talking about when it comes to skin. What makes them different is they incorporate what they call 'plant wisdom' with essential oils. I for one can tell you the quality of this product is definitely premium, even though the price might not suggest it. The fact that it only costs £14.99 for a 30ml bottle is fantastic, as I know other gels that are twice the price for half the size and do a quarter of the job! 

 I have been using this eye serum for just over a month now and I'm addicted. I have literally put all my other eye creams to one side and always seem to reach for this one now. It is packed full of goodness like Hyaluronic Acid, Co-Enzyme Q10, Pentapeptides and Green Tea. I put this on first thing in the morning and it just seems to reduce any puffiness straight away and decreases the dullness. I don't know if this is due to the fact that the gel is yellow in colour, but whatever it is, it works.  You are encouraged to inhale the aroma when applying, and if you like Green Tea, you'll love it. I also apply last thing before bed. It is very easily absorbed and gives a cool and soothing sensation.  

What's more... you can win one for yourself by entering the giveaway below! There are 13 ways to enter. Ends 10th May. You will be contacted by the company directly.