Top 5 Eye Brushes...

I own SO many brushes and out of the lot these are the ones I use everyday and night for a flawless application of my eye makeup!


Now, don't necessarily look at the brands of the brushes, look at the SHAPE instead.


For a typical look these are the brushes I use in order

1. MAC 242 - This is a flat synthetic brush which I use to pack colour onto my eyelid, I may even use the tip to add precise crease definition. This is the only type of brush that I can use to reflect the true colour of an eyeshadow, a fluffy e/s brush just doesn't give you the same effect.
   
2. SMASHBOX #30 - This is a great pencil brush with just enough softness to blend out the colour in the crease or outer corner. Mac or Sigma's pencil brush doesn't blend out as well in my opinion.
   
3. MAC 217 - This is the perfect brush to blend an array of colours into the crease, you can even use it to apply a wash of colour onto the eyelid and as a concealer brush. A must have for sure!
   
4. ELF LIP DEFINER - I use this brush to highlight the inner corers of my eyes and under my eyebrow, it's tiny and soft to help achieve a perfect blended look.
   
5. SMASHBOX #10 - The most amazing blending brush ever, I don't use this to lay down any colour unless I want subtle colour payoff, I use this to blend blend blend. This is the secret to the blended looks I achieve, no look is complete without a "swish swish" from this brush!!
   

What are your top 5 eye brushes?

Products I'm loving right now...

I have been enjoying a few products that are proving to work wonders on my sleep deprived exhausted skin, here's what I have been loving and would definitely recommend for new mamas or for cheering yourself up after a night out!


1) THE SANCTUARY YOUTH REVOLUTION - I have particularly been enjoying the skin renewal glycolic peel mask which I use 1-2 times a week. It gives me just the boost I need when my skin is feeling and looking incredibly dull. I can't really go for a facial so I'm trying to take care of my skin at home. It's a 30 day programme that also has a serum and I have used it on and off for about 3 weeks and am enjoying the results. I will do a full review if further miraculous results occur.


I just LOVE masks that you can peel off your face!


2) YSL TOUCHE ECLAT - Perfect for illuminating under the eyes to brighten them and make them look more awake! I honestly can't be without this, I usually apply on top of my concealer for more of a bright eyed look.

3) MAC STROBE CREAM - I haven't been wearing hardly any makeup as I don't have time, the strobe cream adds a pretty glow to my face and makes it look more healthy and not as traumatised. :)

4) CLARISONIC - I mainly use this at night but am really relying on it at the moment as it boosts my dull complexion and is keeping it clear!




5) BEAUTE GIRLINA LIP CREME - On the odd occasion that I have worn makeup I have always opted for 'Girlina' a pretty pink shade, it's moisturising and adds the perfect amount of colour to my face and just brightens it up, I'm almost out of it - boohoo!


6) BURT'S BEES 'MAMA BEE' BELLY BUTTER - I have been applying this all over my body concentrating more so on my belly, my belly has shrunk almost back to my pre-pregnancy size and I couldn't be happier. Breastfeeding really has helped, I haven't done anything extra to speed things up. The linea nigra is fading and I haven't had any stretchmarks on it, some people say you get them when you shrink back down but that hasn't been the case for me, maybe this cream has helped?! However I used Neals Yard 'Mothers balm' during my pregnancy and that is a miracle oil I tell you! I love this cream a whole bunch more as it's natural and 'Esra' doesn't seem to mind it even when smothered on my breasts whilst breastfeeding.

7) BURT'S BEES 'MAMA BEE' LEG & FOOT CREAM - OH MY GOD, this is THE best foot cream EVER! It tingles when you put it on and it just relaxes you, it's unbelievable the difference it makes. The day after I had given birth my feet were swollen and looked like a giant, as soon as I rubbed this on it.. it felt like heaven! Hubby has also tried it and completely agrees with me!! :)

A huge thank you to Tali for gifting me the 'Mama Bee' products along with pressies she got for Esra, I have also been using quite a few Burt's Bees baby products and am in love with them also!


8) LAURA ASHLEY 'PINK PETALS' EU DE PARFUM -This is such a light fresh floral scent that has been perfect for everyday, it smells like fresh delicate flowers and I can't stop sniffing myself! :) Fragrance notes include water fruits, rose, frangipani, muguet, musk, sandalwood and olibanum. This is exactly what I would expect from a Laura Asley scent, the bottle is beautiful as is the delicate designs on the box it comes in.


What products are YOU loving right now? Also, I need a good awakening eye cream that basically de puffs and gets rid of dark circles, does such a thing even exist? I know all eye creams "claim" to but which one REALLY does?! I have a few favourite eye creams but need something MORE, my eyes look terrible!

Disclaimer: The Laura Ashley perfume & Youth Revolution kit was sent for consideration for review, I wasn't paid for this post and I'm not affiliated with them. Honest opinion as always.

Daddy's Little Girl...

It's been a beautiful and very exhausting 9 days since Esra was born into this world, here are a few photos from the past few days that I wanted to share with you...

I love this one of hubby and Esra, he is such a wonderful Dad!!




Esra is also Mummy's little girl!!





We can't stop staring at her!

I totally forgot to include this pic in the last post from the hospital, it just makes me so happy. Allah hepimizi nazardan korusun inshallah.



Thank you all for your sweet messages, comments and emails, we are all doing well. It has been a hectic week and we are trying to adjust to our new lifestyle. I am breastfeeding Esra so I feel extra drained and try to make the most of every minute, me and the hubby are very sleep deprived but I think we are getting used to it, well I hope so anyway! :) I didn't expect breastfeeding to be so difficult and painful but it seems to get a little easier each day and I hope I can keep it up. I also didn't expect my stomach to have decreased in size quite dramatically in such a short period of time *yey* I can't wait to be out and about in "normal" clothes and heal completely. I am so grateful to have a wonderful caring husband and a healthy beautiful daughter, I thank god everyday for the life I have been blessed with and pray that the happiness is never taken away from me. I try to express my gratefulness in every way and wish all the happiness in the world to everyone around me.

I have plenty of posts lined up but I just don't get a chance to log on, I haven't replied to emails so I just wanted to also say sorry. I haven't had any time for myself which is normal and I'm not complaining at all. Hopefully we shall speak again soon, and thank you all for your support throughout my pregnancy journey! :) x X x

Meet Esra...

This is little 'Esra Aaliyah Emin', I gave birth to her naturally in water on Friday the 30th of September at 21.36. She weighed 2.81kg and was 50cm tall. Words cannot describe how me and Hubby feel right now, Esra is so precious and everything seems so unreal.




When I woke up on Friday morning I had mild contractions that were only a tiny bit more uncomfortable than your average braxton hicks. By about midday they got a little stronger and so we went to the hospital/birthing centre as they told me to come in, I was checked at approx 3pm and then sent home as I wasn't dilated at all. We came back home and the contractions were closer together and lasting much longer causing me excruciating pain and penty of screaming so we went back to the hospital and I was checked at approx 7pm and I was 3 cm dilated. At this point I was told I would be checked again after FOUR hours which made me go a little bit crazy and I wanted to kill the nurses. I was begging for them to give me painkillers, cut me and knock me out as I couldn't do it. After about 1hr I was screaming and telling them I need to push and I was checked and at 8cm, I went into the pool and she was out by 9.36pm. A water birth is truly amazing, I did it all by myself whilst only using gas & air and it was crazy and beautiful that she was born into my hands. I'm so thankful that my labour was quite quick even though it was terribly painful, I'm so out of it right now as I haven't slept much the past couple of nights, but it's SO worth it! :)



Esra – Origin: Turkish/Arabic Meaning: Night journey, from the surah ‘Isra’ from the holy quran.

Aaliyah – Origin: Arabic Meaning: High, exalted and gracious.



She looks so much like her Daddy! She's so cute, I want to squish her but can't as she is so tiny! :) Her hair is a dark blonde/light brown colour and her eyes are blue at the moment but I think they will change to green. Babies are such miracles, I can't thank god enough for being blessed with a healthy beautiful baby.



Speak soon and thank you for all the lovely messages on Twitter. x Xx