The Brush Bar Review and Discount Code

The Brush Bar are an innovative and unique company that create tools that make cleaning your make up brushes and drying them easier.

Both are tools that I now highly value within my collection and that are used every time I clean my brushes.

The Brush Bar is a really well thought out tool that enables your make up brushes to remain damage free as this is a stand that keeps them vertical and the water to run down and out the brush protecting the bristles of your brush. The bar is also a great way to store your brushes if you like to have them out on display; the stand has individual pincer like pegs to keep the brush in place. Instead of laying my brushes down flat once cleaned to dry, this tool is a great alternative and a really smart idea.

The Brush Board is an exfoliator that can deep clean your brushes by reaching between the bristles for a quick and effective clean that means less time scrubbing your foundation brush to remove all the make up! The board has six different textures to choose from so different types of brushes can be deep cleaned. 

These tools have really proven useful and I can not imagine them not being a part of my cleaning routine now, they make the process and rather boring chore quicker and easier and much more rewarding. Brush maintenance is a frustrating aspect of make up and I commend this brand for making products that really change the way I clean my brushes. Both boards also come with a cute velour case to protect and store them. 

For 15% off your entire first purchase at The Brush Bar use the code 'LAURA15'

Visit their website: www.getbrushbar.com 

Visit their social media sites: 
https://www.facebook.com/getbrushbar
https://instagram.com/getbrushbar

Love Me Beauty - June

This month's Love Me Beauty bag is full of Caudalie products and a few extra goodies as well. Caudalie is a brand I have been aware of for years now but for some reason I have never tried any of their products, so I am really happy to get the chance to do so this month! 

The element of Caudalie as a brand that very clearly stands out is the natural ingredients in all their products and that they are against animal testing; The vine and grape extracts used for our patents come from the vineyards of Bordeaux, Champagne and Burgundy. Every day, we are looking for the next "green" active ingredients to strengthen our Cosm'ethics'. 

Once again if you would like 20% off your first month use the code 'laurae20' at the checkout.

Caudalie: Divine Oil 15ml - This is a multi-use dry oil, with a formula made up of grape, hibiscus, sesame and argan combined with an anti-oxidant, which nourishes and moisturises. A multi-use, luxurious dry oil which moisturises, nourishes, and enhances thanks to its unique formula made with exceptional blend of oils (grape, hibiscus, sesame and argan) combined with patented anti-oxidant Polyphenols. 

Caudalie: Nourishing Body Lotion 50ml - In my opinion, this is the best body lotion I have ever tried. It is not sticky, overwhelmingly scented, and it also sinks into the skin so quickly, but leaves it soft for ages. Applying this after shaving my legs makes my skin feel the softest it has ever felt, and I have nothing but good things to say about this, it is a product I will definitely be repurchasing. 

Caudalie: Concentrated Brightening Essence 50ml - This smells so beautiful and fresh and really helps to make your skin appear brighter once applied, which results in make up sitting on the face much nicer. I found this great for my sensitive and dry skin giving it a lovely radiance to wake up to when used before bed. 

Caudalie: Vinoperfect Radiance Serum Complexion Correcting 10ml - I found this to be really lightweight, a huge plus as I really do not like products that feel really heavy on my skin. This is an age-defying serum, that prevents dark spots and contributes to a clearer complexion by counteracting sun damage, acne and scars. After 2 weeks use, I can see results in the overall look of my skin and my small acne scars are much less noticeable. 

Perricone MD: Face Finishing Moisturiser Tint 30ml - I have never heard of the brand before; it is an American brand that on some research I found many good reviews about, and in particular this product. This is rose scented, something that I am not overly keen on, but this is not overpowering and once applied I can not smell it on my skin. It is a lightweight tinted moisturiser, that feels hydrating and has an SPF of 30. I think this would also be great for all skin tones. 


Pixi Glow Tonic- There was also a small sample of this included in the bag, a product that I love and use in my daily skincare routine. 

There were also a few small samples from Yu-Be, a Japanese brand that I am yet to try, but as they are the perfect travel size I am waiting to take them away with me to test them out.

This has been my favourite monthly bag from Love Me Beauty so far! They have really decent sized products, if not the full size version of a product. It is an exfoliating toner that brightens dry and dull skin. 

May Birchbox

I might have been initially reeled in to buy this month's Birchbox by the beautiful marble design - I am a sucker for it! However, before actually going ahead and purchasing the box I took a look at what was actually going to be inside and was pleasantly surprised by what was on offer for this month. 

I have been so excited all week ever since I ordered the box and it finally arrived and yes it looks beautiful on the outside and the pink pull out draw insert is so cute that I will definitely be displaying this box on my vanity, but I was so delighted to receive the products inside. There is a range of different items inside, including a full size product and I am actually excited to try out every single one of them. I also love that this month, Birchbox is all about little changes that can make a big difference to your daily routine, and I have been wanting to change up my rituals and what products I use as of late. 

Marsk-Mineral Eyshadow 'Vanilla Frosting' Full Size RRP £14.49

This is a pigmented powder eyeshadow that can be used as a wash of colour over the lid or as part of an intense smokey look. I gently coated a brush in the powder and then swept it over my eyelid; it's soft and made from natural ingredients which makes it perfect for my sensitive eyes, and it is super glittery and sparkly. Before checking out, you can choose from the shade 'Fifty Shades' or 'Vanilla Frosting' and I chose the latter as I can create more versatile looks with this shimmery white shadow. 

Doucce-Punk Volumizer Mascara RRP £18

I am currently on a lash extensions hype so at the moment I have no need for mascaras, however soon I want to give my lashes a break from the extensions and head back into using mascaras, and this one is going to be the first one I grab for. This is described as a volumising mascara and I love big lashes and I hope this is exactly the look I will achieve when using it. There is a jumbo fibre mascara wand which looks perfect for grabbing every single lash. 

Laura Mercier-Foundation Primer Radiance RRP £29

I have actually been wanting to try this out for a long time, and this is also a big reason as to why I chose to buy the May Birchbox edit this month. I have heard great things about this from Youtubers and bloggers and went straight ahead and used this the very next time I went to do my make up. This made my skin smooth and left it with a radiant glow, preparing my skin for foundation. I am also happy to say that this made my make up last throughout my working day, so basically if this is everything you want in a primer then definitely try this out. 

Whish-Firming Body Cream Rice Milk RRP £27
This is something I am curious to try out as I am always sceptical as to how much these types of products work. The cream is described as being able to firm and smooth your skin for a toned and even result by stimulating blood flow and reducing inflammation, so I am excited to start using it. It contains organic ingredients; shea butter, cocoa seed butter and green tea.

Beauty Protector-Protect & Volume RRP £18.50
I love the smell of this, it smells fresh and clean and you can slightly smell the product in your hair during the day but you can't tell that your hair has any of the product in apart from the scent giving it away as it light and non sticky. This added a slight lift and volume to my hair as well as making it look shiny and healthy. 

I am really impressed with this months Birchbox and have already determined that I will definitely be repurchasing the Laura Mercier primer. 

March Favourites

It's that time again where I have put together the products I have been enjoying throughout the month of March. Some are repurchases, that I enjoyed using so much the first time around, that I then repurchased and have been loving using again. 

Vera Wang Princess Perfume -  This is a repurchase and one of my all time favourite perfumes. Not only is the bottle pretty and elegant, but I would also describe the perfume as being this. It is described by The Perfume Shop as including a mixture of apple, waterlily, mandarin meringue, golden apricot skin, dark chocolate, amber musk and vanilla. They all come together nicely to create a gorgeous scent that isn't too overpowering and wears throughout the day nicely. 

Sleek Power Plump Lip Crayon in Notorious Nude - The small nib on this lip crayon makes it really easy to apply on your lips without leaving smudgy marks or running the risk of seriously over drawing your lips. It does exactly as it is says on the tin, it plumps your lips by giving a tingling sensation as well providing a highly pigmented colour. I love the shade 'Notorious Nude', it reminds me of my all time favourite 'Velvet Teddy' from Mac, except this product is half the price. It is long lasting, with a satin finish and subtly enhances the appearance of your lips. 

Rimmel London Kate Moss Lipstick in Boho Nude - A very similar shade to the Sleek lip crayon and this 15th anniversary range from Kate's collection with Rimmel are packaged in a gorgeous rose gold colour. This range is made up of nudes and reds and from the one I own and having swatched the others in store, they are really pigmented and long lasting. It has a creamy texture which sits nicely on the lips and there are six  shades to choose from overall. 

Colosrpop Super Shock Shadow in Kaepop Sunset BLVD - This is a lovely satin warm golden bronze shade, which I found best used when applied with my finger at this gave me the most product coverage than when using a brush. It then blended really well with a fluffy brush. It is a creme powder formula and has next to no fall out, and whilst it is nice worn on its own I personally enjoy using it with a light brown shade in the crease. 

Seventeen Wow! 3 way Skin Highlighter -  This really is an every day make up product for me at the moment. It can be used as a primer, mixed in with your foundation or worn on its own. I personally like using this with my foundation for an extra glow as well as applied with a beauty blender on the top of my cheeks and below my brow bone. It is a shimmery, but not glittery, iridescent shade that is creamy and silky with a pearly sheen, and blends out well without removing any under layer of foundation. It lasts on the skin, and doesn't lose it's shine and is also great when topped up with a powder highlighter. This is only £5.99, and for that price I would definitely recommend giving this a try!


Vaseline Spray and Go Body Moisturiser - This a convenient spray lotion, making it quick and easy to moisturise your skin. I actually find it such a chore, but want to get into the habit of regularly moisturising my skin after a shower and this product makes it so easy to do so with little effort involved. It does not leave my skin sticky or greasy, buts leaves it feeling soft and hydrated. There are a few different versions and scents of this moisturiser to choose from and its super inexpensive. 

Spring / Summer Wishlist

I am so glad that Spring is on its way, my skin needs warmth and sunshine and when this time of the year comes around I usually have a long wishlist of clothing and beauty items to take me through these seasons. I have out together some of the items on my wishlist together, shown above and I hope to get my hands on some of these to use during Spring and Summer. 

Rimmel Volume Shake Mascara*

I love trying out new products, and I was kindly sent the new mascara from Rimmel London to try out and share my thoughts on. At £6.99, Rimmel states that this mascara has breakthrough shaker technology, has clump free volume, and stays fresh. I have never used a mascara with this technology before, but I like the idea of it, as it replenishes the formula that give volume to your lashes. 

This didn't flake on me or slowly disparate throughout the day and gave me full lashes without any clumps. For me personally, it didn't do much to lengthen my lashes, but I was happy that the mascara did as said on the tube as it really did add volume to my lashes. I also liked how black the formula was and it stayed this way as the day progressed with only a little fall out. 

Primark Precious Metals Metallic Lip Crayons

I have not used any Primark make up before and to be honest it is because I really did not have any high hopes towards it. However, when I saw these Metallic Lip Crayons I did not hesitate to pay closer attention to them. There were three to choose from and when I swatched them all I was so impressed with how easily they glided onto the skin and how pigmented and metallic they actually were. For only £2 I quickly decided that I was going to purchase a couple and I chose a gorgeous rose gold, pinky shade and the gold shade. They also had a deepish brown shade that looked a bit too dark for me but was equally as gorgeous.

They were easy to apply and needed about two coats to get a good colour pay off. They lasted for a couple of hours as I was eating and drinking and did not dry out my lips at all. They actually felt like a gloss when on my lips as they were so moisturising and hydrating. 

Overall I am really impressed with these and it has made me want to try more Primark make up! 

Gifts for her

1) Soap and Glory Hand Food Trio - A cute package of mini hand creams in three different scents.

2) Pandora Sparkling Open Work Heart Charm - This one is perfect for Valentine's Day, but any Pandora item is a winner for this occasion.  

3) Morris & Co Strawberry Thief Bodycare Set - Another cute trio perfect for bath time. 

4) Too Faced Love flush blusher - Perfect and cute packaging with a number of shades to choose from. 

5) Pandora Linked Love Ring - Again, another fitting purchase for Valentine's Day. 

6) I Heart Makeup Blushing Hearts Blush - This has such cute packaging, is pretty cheap for what it is, and is still an amazing product. 

7) Nars Satin Lip Pencil - Easy and precise application and an amazing range of colours.

8) Michael Kors Sunglasses - An expensive gift, but gorgeous none the less, and with Spring and Summer on the way, a lovely pair of sunglasses will definitely be a winner. 

9) Diptyque Eau de Toilette - A perfume is a gift that in my opinion, you can not go wrong with, particularly for a perfume obsessed girl like myself. 

10) House of Hackney Pineapple Candle Holder - An expensive example, but cute home decor is also a good idea, and anything candle related is a winner I believe. 

11) Skinnydip Hip Flask - Useful and very cute. 

12) Chokers may have been all the go last year, but I still enjoy wearing them and this one is a gorgeous statement piece. 

13) Tom Ford Perfume - Pricey, but gorgeous and even in a gorgeous bottle. 

14) Rip Curl Chile Hat - There are loads of these hats about at the moment, and are a real statement piece, that is a great addition to any wardrobe. 

15) Charlotte Tilbury Lipstick - There are so many different shades to choose from and this range leaves your lips smooth and protected. 

Have a wonderful Valentine's Day everyone! 

January Favourites

I am so happy that it is the end of January, but as always, I can not fathom where the month has gone, or how it has flown by so quickly, but because it is January, I suppose this time I don't mind!

I have had a busy month so have not really tried out too many new products but I have been testing some I got for Christmas and I have been loving using them on a daily basis, thus why they have made it onto my list of January favourites. 

Alien - Thierry Mugler: This is a perfume that lasts throughout the day, not really changing in scent too much, and one that I can even smell on myself, which I find quite rare in perfumes! Made up of a blend of mandarin, moroccan jasmine and white amber, I think this perfume is unlike many others and maybe not suited to every age group but it is my current favourite and I highly recommend it. The bottle is pretty and elegant, as well as iconic, expected from the lovely range of perfumes from Thierry Mugler. Also, full marks to Thierry Mugler for creating refillable bottles!

Sexy Mother Pucker Lip Gloss -  Soap and Glory: Even though the shade of this looks like a soft pink in the tube it applies to the lips as a clear, slightly shimmery gloss, that you can feel working to add volume to your lips very quickly once applied. It has a micro circulation boosting extract to make your lips look and feel fuller. I have loved adding this on top of a lipstick and it has really made me enjoy wearing lip gloss again. 

Huge extreme lash mascara - Stila: Mascara is a difficult one for me, many of the popular mascaras loved by so many rarely work for me as I have such difficult lashes that just won't get on with so many mascaras. However, after using this, I immediately knew that it complimented and worked with my lashes so well due to it's amazing ability of doing exactly what it is advertised. It is non clumping, but gives my lashes lots of length and volume, and I really love how black the product is. I wear two coats because I love extreme lashes, but really, I do not actually need the extra coat as this does exactly what it says it does after only one application to my lashes. Slightly pricier than drug store brands, but for me, definitely worth it!

Radiance Reveal Concealer - Bourjois: I went out and bought this pretty soon after watching Zoella rave about it in one of her latest Youtube videos. She stated that it works so well for concealing under the eyes, a problem that I have a major issue with, and so anything that is recommend as working well to brighten this area, I am always more than happy to give it a go, and I am very glad I did. It blends out nicely under the eyes and it doesn't get eaten up by my skin like so many concealers do. Although it doesn't quite cover up the blue, dark circles under my eyes as well as my trusty Urban Decay Naked Skin Weightless concealer, it does brighten considerably and makes a difference to the overall look of the base of my makeup. 

These products have helped to make me fabulous throughout the month of January, for which I am completely grateful! What products have you been loving this month?

My Completely Dreamy Wishlist

Unfortunately, most of these items I will never own, but there is nothing wrong with dreaming right? If you had enough money to splurge, what would you get?

Beauty Favourites 2016

There were some amazing products released in 2016, loads that I liked, and some that I just happened to discover throughout the year. I have listed below the ones that I loved near enough since the first use and use pretty much on a daily basis. 

Nivea Men Post Shave Balm 
I purchased this at the beginning of the year in 2016, and a full year later I am still using it. If you have not heard about this being used as a primer as part of your make up routine, then where on earth were you in 2016. This does not really blur imperfections or pores, but it smooths the skin and keeps your making looking fresh and seated in place all day. 

NYX Liquid Suede Cream Lipsticks
I have three of these now, as they are long lasting, non drying, and have an amazing range of different shades. 

Urban Decay Naked Skin Weightless Complete Coverage Concealer

Simply the best highlighter that I have ever used. After the first use I new I loved it, as it was the first one I had tried in ages that really did cover and brighten the dark circles under my eyes. It is creamy but blends out really nice and does not crease. 

Urban Decay Afterglow 8 Hour Powder Highlighter 'Sin'
This is something that I had to wait a while for before I could get my hands on it, as it was always out of stock and when I did finally purchase it, I was so glad that I did, and the wait was definitely worth it. I get comments every time I wear it, it is quite intense but not overly glittery or shimmery. 

Freedom Eyebrow Pomade 

The product I use every day to fill in and shape my brows. It is such an amazing dupe for the pomade from Anastasia and this one is pretty much a quarter of the price. The shades are great however as far as I am aware, the lightest shade is 'blonde' which I use, which to me is definitely not a light shade. 

Make Up Revolution Pro Fix Fixing Spray
I have re purchased this so many times in the past year as it just never fails me. There are two versions of this which is great as you can buy the one perfectly tailored for your skin type. It does not have an overwhelming scent, it dries quickly and helps my make up stay in place all day. 

Sleek Solstice Highlighting Palette
 I reviewed this product here, the packaging is beautiful and luxurious looking, there are four different shades with different formulas, and all are highly pigmented.

Rimmel Exaggerate Waterproof Eyeliner
I was really impressed with this, as I can be quite picky when it comes to liquid eyeliner. The pen is very black, easy to use, and does not dry out quickly. I just wish there was more product actually there, as I have used eyeliners before that have more of a felt tip end than this one, but the product itself is great. 

Nars Sheer Glow Foundation

My favourite foundation, that never lets me down and gives a dewy, lovely finish to my skin, covering up my imperfections and pores. 

What were your favourite beauty products of 2016? 

TerraPrime Snail Cream

TerraPrime were kind enough to send me their Snail Cream to try out and review over the Christmas period. My skin has not been too bad recently, but it could definitely be better and with all the food and drink consumed as of late, I think this has been keeping my skin healthy and acne prone. 

The name, when I first heard it, did not exactly appeal to me, but it did make me curious to try it and read up about what it was before I received it, as how often do you use a skincare product with the word 'snail' in it? The product is kept in a pretty, very high end looking, 50ml jar with a gold, screw style lid for easy access.  

Snails are used by spas and doctors around the World for their benefits of contributing to younger and smoother looking skin. This cream is described as being anti-ageing, with an anti-wrinkle solution, that takes care of your skin to keep it free of blemishes, acne and pores. Since using this daily for around two weeks my skin has remained clear of acne and blemishes and feels healthy and fresh when I wake in the morning. The snail mucus within this, along with collagen and Vitamin E provides your skin with the moisture it needs to be healthy and free of dryness and irritation. What also stood out to me when reading about this product is that it is ideal for sensitive skin 

The moisturiser itself is fast absorbing and non greasy, which means that none is transferred to my pillow during the night, and I don't go to bed with my skin feeling sticky and greasy. I assumed that the cream would have a strong scent to it, due to the name, however there is no strong perfumed smell just a small scent of a normal moisturiser that isn't too overpowering. I was pleasantly surprised with this product, and again it was a pleasure to collaborate with TerraPrime Beauty! 

Check out the product here, and follow their social media:
https://www.facebook.com/TerraPrimeBeauty
https://www.instagram.com/terraprimebeauty/

Unicorns Heart Rainbow Highlighter

As soon as I saw that I Heart Makeup had a rainbow highlighter, I ordered it straight away, and I will admit, mainly because it looked so pretty and the packaging was cute, I wasn't really thinking about how it was going to work on my skin. I was slightly worried as the rainbow highlighters I have seen scattered about Instagram recently are really pigmented, and really noticeable on the skin, and whilst it looked really cool, it was not ideal for me on a daily basis! 

This heart shaped, rainbow highlighter however is a lot more iridescent and pastel on the skin, but it is still quite pigmented and can be easily built up for a more intense colour. When I swipe my brush in the pan and transfer it to my skin it gives an iridescent glow which I have loved wearing on a daily basis but when swiped with a fan brush it shows all five shades lined up together. According to I Heart Makeup, the product was 'made by real unicorns'! 

This is perfect for achieving the soft, rainbow shimmer that is all the rave right now! 
Shop more from I heart Make up below!

Three High Quality Highlighters

Make Up Revolution I Heart Make Up 'Goddess of Love' Highlighter - £5.99
Urban Decay Afterglow Highlighter in 'Sin' - £19
Barry M Illuminating Strobe Cream 'Iced Bronze' - £4.49

I have put together three great highlighters that differ in price, formula and brand. I was first attracted to the heart boxes from Make Up Revolution as they looked like amazing dupes of the blushes from Too Faced, and I am a sucker for such cute packaging. At first I tried the blushes from Make Up Revolution and after being very impressed with them I decided to try one of their highlighters. This also turned out to be a great product, not particularly as pigmented as the other two highlighters I have picked out but a good product for only £4.99. It gives a natural and subtle glow to the skin, and it has a pink sheen to it, not my favourite in a highlighter but as it is not strongly pigmented it does not show up on the skin with too much of a pink shine. 

After watching Manny MUA rave about the Urban Decay highlighter in 'Sin' I was easily persuaded and went and bought it when it was finally back in stock! It is super pigmented and I always get comments whenever I am wearing it. If you are looking for a higher end product for highlight then this one should definitely be the top of your list! 

If you are looking to try a cream product, the the Barry M strobe stick is great and really affordable. It is easy to apply and blend, without smudging or moving your foundation and although there are only two shades to choose from, I am really pleased with the champagne shade of Iced Bronze. 

Highlighter is by far my favourite make up product and so my collection is always growing and very varied. What are your favourite highlighters?