Hi guys,

A few weeks back the lovely Safiyah Tasneem let me guest post on her blog. I love her blog so much and it's always lovely for me when I do get a chance to, so I thought I would share it with you all too.

This week I am bringing you a review of the NYX Cosmic Metals Lip Creams (£7), which come in a range of 18 colours! These lip creams are truly beautiful to look at. They offer a high shine gloss with beautiful specks of shimmer within to give that extra sparkle.

The colours that were sent for review are the most wearable, for everyday, out of the range. I am obsessed with nudes so these were perfect for me and I feel there is a colour to suit every skin tone. Also included in the range are blues and greens, which I can imagine are beautiful in their own right. The packaging is simple and sleek with a little black crystal on top of the lid for that extra luxury. The formula on these is very thick hence being called a lip cream. however not sticky in the slightest. I find that you can wear these in one of two ways. Either apply a very thin layer to get a slight shimmer or you can build up the layers to get a very glossy, full metallic colour. Either way the effect is pretty. 

The effect you get from these is stunning if you like your glosses. Personally, I have been getting more use out of wearing them to parties or weddings. The durability of these is quite short lived and I have found myself reapplying after a couple of hours, however this is understandable considering the high shine and shimmer. I am happy to do this on a night out but may get tired of repeating this throughout the day. I would also advise moisturised lips as otherwise the formula can get stuck within the creases of your lips. I have actually tried wearing these on the eye lids as glossy lids are totally in, and they can totally double up as an eye cream too. 

Overall I really like the lip creams and would recommend. My favourite colour has to be Retro Harmony and Crystallised Metal. Probably down to the rose gold vibes. Obviously! Which colour is your favourite??

Amina xx

*PR Sample. All opinions are my own.

Hey Guys,

Let me start with saying I love the feeling of having freshly painted nails. It just makes my hands look so pretty and feels like a little bit of luxury. It's such a treat for me to set aside some time and pamper myself. The dream is to be able to go to a salon and get them done professionally, however I just don't have the time or the money! I think I have found a great alternative. Cue CND Vinylux Weekly Polish.* If you haven't heard of CND before, it may be because they are widely used in professional salons. However with the release of their weekly polish it is now easier for us to get this salon quality at home. The idea is you apply two coats of nail polish and one coat of the top coat and you are left with nails that will last up to 7 days.

The four polishes I was sent are:- Radiant Chill (£6.95, 15ml), a beautiful rose gold colour, Ice bar (£6.95, 15ml), a shimmering iridescent colour, which works great as a topper, Alpine Plum (£6.95, 15ml), a metallic lilac and finally the weekly top coat. I have enjoyed wearing the colours, together, on top of each other and creating feature nails using them. Tried and tested, I can say they do actually last the seven days, as long as you use the top coat. The top coat is where the long lasting technology comes in. With exposure to natural light over time the nail polish becomes more durable and long lasting. This also explains the black bottle it comes in (as to not allow any light into the bottle). The only wear I saw after seven days was slight chipping near the bottom of the nail, where natural wear and tear would occur. 

In the above pictures I applied Ice bar over the Ring finger nail to create a shimmer over the top of the other colours. I really liked this effect and think it added a little dimension to the nails. One thing I will say is the nail polish has a very strong smell. As do most nail polishes, however I put this down to the fact these are salon quality nail polishes. The rounded shape of the brush and formula of the nail polish make it very easy to apply. The bottles suggest two coats of nail polish however I only applied one as the colour pay off was great. I would recommend buffing the nails prior to application to totally smooth your nails out, as the metallic effect can cause the ridges in your nails to show a little more.

Overall I am really impressed with the nail polishes and think they would make a great stocking filler or gift. The colours are perfect, so feminine and perfect for the upcoming Winter months. Have you used CND before? Which colour is your favourite?

Amina xx 

*PR sample. All opinions are my own.

Hey guys,

Do you remember 'So...?' fragrances? For some reason they totally appear in my memory from the 90's. I remember being a kid and my sisters buying the body sprays from the local pharmacy (drugstore). But I have a 10 year period of complete blank. I don't know why, because we were so obsessed with them. More recently I have seen them in stores again and on the blogosphere, so when they contacted me I couldn't wait to review their new range and see if they were still as good as they used to be.

First up from the floral scents range we have the Fresh Floral Body Mist (£3.99). This is such a lovely fresh scent. It totally reminds me of fresh linen and that really clean kind of smell, which I love. It has a blend of peach blossom and peony flowers, which literally smell how they sound. I have found myself wearing this quite a lot. Also, because they are fragrance mists, I find myself reaching for them when I don't want too much of a dominant smell. It's a scent you can wear all year round and personally I think is suited to day wear.

The packaging on these is so eye catching, made from plastic, but look like glass. They look fab on my dresser all lined up. I was also sent the Sweet Pea Body Mist (£3.99). This has a very irresistible aura. It smells so sweet, and makes you smell almost good enough to eat! It is made up of white flower and sugary sweet pea. This is definitely more suited to an evening as it is so strong. Honestly, it is probably my least favourite out of the collection, as I'm not a fan of sweet scents, but even so, I have still worn it a few times and would class it as a nice scent.

Overall, for the price, I think these are all such good value for money. They last long but don't feel heavy on. I am so glad I was reintroduced to 'So...?'. I have a reignited love for the brand. These are definitely a product I will continue to use on myself and my daughters! Have you tried 'So...?' before? What fragrance should I try next?

Amina xx

*PR gift. All opinions are my own.

Hey Guys!

This week I am bringing to you a review of October's Cohorted Beauty Box. If you are a fan of subscription boxes then you would have definitely heard of this box. It contains luxury, high end products, which are sent to your door every month. This is one of the most sought after subscriptions boxes on the market. At £35 it doesn't come cheap, so I thought I would share whether or not I thought it was actually worth it!

First up we have a gorgeous eyeshadow palette by Doucce, not a brand I had heard of until now. This stole my attention straightaway, a beautiful eyeshadow palette with 12 shades. 6 matte and 6 shimmers. The colours in this palette are lovely for everyday and the shimmers have little particles of glitter in, so it's the perfect palette to go from day to night. I love the fact that the pans are all removable and the casing is magnetic, so you can personalise your palette or just use the shades you need. When swatching the shades, the shimmers are what stood out to me, but that may be because I'm a bit obsessed with anything sparkly. Think like a moth to a flame. (Ew.) The matte shades were lovely colours, but not particularly pigmented. An added bonus was the large mirror in the casing. You make your £35 back on this palette alone as it is worth £50.

2. Clarins Gloss Prodige - RRP £16

This is a clear gloss that can be worn on its own or over another lipstick to make it glossy. A smooth, gel like formula, that is really comfortable to wear. Having never tried Clarins before I am actually quite impressed with this product and can definitely see myself using it over other lipsticks.

3. Pixi by Petra Brow Tamer - RRP £12

Another clear gel formula, but this time for those bushy brows. I really liked the formula of this product and am so glad I was introduced to it. It is something I probably would have never tried it, as I swear by my Benefit Clear Brow Gel. The formula somehow manages to keep your eyebrows set in place without them going hard. It contains aloe vera so actually conditions your hairs while it sets. A hit for me.

4. Lancome Advanced Genefique (5ml X 2) - RRP £10

This is one of Lancome's most popular serums for all skin types. It claims to 'reduce fine lines' and 'improve skin's radiance and clarity'. For me, this was probably the biggest let down in the box, as I feel like I can go into store and ask for a sample of this. It doesn't give me that excitement or interest that I usually get when I see the contents of a beauty box. This may have been because I have received samples of this before, when browsing in store or purchasing a mascara, for example. One good thing is at least there are two samples. So in total, you have 10ml worth of product to help you decide whether it's the serum for you.

5. The Innate Life Rose Hair Elixir - £12

The last product in the box is this lovely hair oil. Let me tell you, the smell of it is just so divine, I want to smother it all over my body. It is quite a small bottle and comes with a dropper, however this stuff is strong, so don't worry about the size. A little goes a long way, just a few drops of this leaves your hair looking shiny and less frizzy. If you read my post on my Curly Hair Saviours, you will know how much I struggle, but this gives my hair that nourishment it needs. It contains over 15 plant oils and can be used pre-styling for heat protection or rubbed into the scalp to condition the roots. I have really enjoyed using it and the fact it leaves my hair smelling of roses is a bonus!

My overall thoughts on the box is that it is definitely worth it! You are getting high end products at a great price. The value of the box is £100, even though I'm not sure I would put a price on the samples. Even considering those, 4 out of 5 great products isn't bad. I would definitely recommend!

Have you purchased the Cohorted Beauty Box before? Are you tempted to subscribe?

Amina xx

*PR Gift. All opinions are my own.