Scent & Co

If you are like me, and have a slight perfume obsession, then you will really enjoy what awaits you at Scent & Co. This brand offer you the chance to try out many different perfumes that you may not have otherwise tried,  perhaps, in my case, due to the fact that many of the higher end, expensive branded perfumes are only available in large volumes which in turn makes them not very affordable. 

Scent & Co 'offer choice, flexibility and portability', of a number of high end perfumes at affordable prices, a perfect way for you to find your ideal scent. This is a subscription service, where you will be charged upfront for either a one, three or twelve month period. 

How it works: Choose your fragrance from a collection of over 450 premium, high end perfumes or have a scent hand picked for you. After you have chosen you then receive your fragrance in the post, in a cute 10ml supply bottle that should last you a month. 

Once you have an account, you can access your scent calendar, where you can add to and edit your queue of perfumes into the order that you would like to receive them. You can recycle the empty glass vial once used, but you can keep the metal case it is contained in and then place your next scent in there once received. 

At the moment there are so many amazing fragrances to choose from, including brands such as Tom Ford, Giorgio Armani and Thierry Mugler. As well as one of my favourite perfumes of all time, Vikor and Rolf's Flowerbomb. 

You can visit Scent & Co at their website https://www.scentandco.uk or follow them on their social media pages; Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. 

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. 

Love Me Beauty - Spring Edit & Discount Code*

I love trying out new products, or being introduced to ones that I have not heard of or tried out before. Love Me Beauty is a fantastic way to receive products to your door monthly, at a subscription cost which makes it easy to navigate your way through tons of brands!
Once you sign up and after filling in some details about yourself, Love Me Beauty tailors your experience by creating the best recommendations for you. Then browse the month's edit and customise your order before having your products delivered to your door. 

This months edit is 'The Spring Edit' and in my bag this month I received a number of EcoTools products, some skincare products and a hair care product. Some of the brands I had heard of before and others were new to me. 

If you have an interest in monthly beauty bags you can get 20% off your first month with Love Me Beauty with the discount code 'laurae20'.

EcoTools Make Up Brushes

Eco Tools Full Powder Brush - This has to be the softer brush I have ever used. I have been wanting to try a new powder brush for a while and this one has very quickly become my favourite. It has cruelty free bristles and made of vegan materials, it is large and very dense so the powder is distributed really well, without the brush locking in too much of the product. 

EcoTools Perfecting Blender Duo - The bigger, darker green sponge is for foundation application and it's shape is perfecting for manoeuvring it around the contours of my face and for applying my foundation well around my nose and under my eyes. It is spongy and springy and I enjoy using the tip for defining and the flat side for coverage. The smaller one is a lime green sponge that is not as springy as the bigger one, which I don't like as much, but it is the perfect size and shape for applying concealer or getting into hard to reach areas. I also love that the packaging has an application face chart on the back to show you how to use it appropriately. 

Ecotools Contour Perfecting Applicator (New) - This is a new one from Ecotools and is designed to highlight and sculpt your face easily. This has a firm sponge tip and softer edges to blend and highlight. It has a handle which makes it easy to use

Ecotools Eye Duo - I love this as it means carrying less in your make up bag; this pack is made up of four brushes on two handles and each different brush is all you need to create an eye look with flawless application and blend ability. The pack contains a shade and define brush and a blend and smudge brush. 

Living Proof Prime Style Extender Spray 15ml

This is designed to drive off dirt and oil and prime your hair for longer wear and as it is silicone free it makes it ideal for all hair types. This product is basically a replacement for your regular dry shampoo except it is a spray that preps your hair for multiple days of feeling clean. I spray it on my hair when it is damp or after towel drying it and make sure I apply a generous amount coating from roots to the ends and then comb it through and style my hair as usual. I am not really a huge fan of dry shampoo but this product involves no white residue on your hair and I didn't find that I needed to apply more as the days since washing my hair followed. 

Amie Purifying Facial Wash & Matte-Finish Moisturiser 10ml

I had not heard of Amie Naturally Kind before but I am always keen to try any new skincare products. These are made up of 100% vegan ingredients and gentle natural extracts and the small sized duo were perfect for my recent weekend away. I don't mind scents in products I use although sometimes I can find them overpowering; these were not like this at all. The smell is fresh and clean but not too strong once used on the skin, the facial wash is cleansing and the moisturiser oil free. I was shocked that I did not know about this brand after learning that the cleanser was a 2017 Beauty Shortlist winner. 

Dr Bragi Intensive Treatment Mask

The Dr Bragi website describes this mask as 'innovative' and specifically designed 'to rapidly target redness, dehydration, loss of firmness and signs of premature ageing. This is a fabric mask and after use, my skin appeared plumper and much smoother. I found this to be the best mask I have used yet, my skin is dry and dehydrated at times and this was a perfect pick me up. I used it before bed and woke up with my skin feeling fresh and looking glowy. 

Weleda Evening Primrose Age Revitalising Body Oil

This range is actually designed for women 56+ years, and makes mature skin look more alive rather than  providing an anti ageing effect. I gave this to my gran and she enjoyed using it, it moisturised and hydrated her skin leaving it feeling soft and smooth. 

I look forward to Love Me Beauty's upcoming months and you can get 20% off your first month with the code 'laurae20' just visit the website here. 

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. 

H&M Beauty Blender

I have never tried the original beauty blender but I hope to in the future, the one sponge I choose to use and rarely stray from is the Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge. However, recently on a complete whim whilst I was browsing the make up section in H&M I came across a black beauty blender type sponge for £1.99 and decided to buy it, with honestly not much hope for it and I ended up being pleasantly surprised. So impressed with it I was that I have not stopped using it since I bought it. 

It has a tapered tip so it is easy to use around the nose and under the eyes and blends out my foundation so well that it leaves my skin looking flawless and evenly covered. I have tried it with a number of different foundations and it does just as good a job as the Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge. For the price of this one over the Real Techniques one I will definitely be repurchasing this more often! 

What do you use to apply your foundation? 

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! 

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? 

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!

Christmas Gift Ideas

Christmas is just around the corner, and with it slowly but surely creeping upon us I have put together some of my favourite picks, perfect for gifts this Christmas! Happy Shopping!

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? 

Rimmel The Only 1 Matte Lipsticks

I have always been a huge fan of Rimmel London's lipsticks, they never disappoint me, They are highly pigmented, have a wide selection of different ranges, tons of beautiful shades, and they always smell so good! 

I was lucky enough to receive all nine shades of their new range; 'The Only 1 Matte'. As is quite clear, they are a matte formula but were not drying on my lips at all, and the colour lasted all day, only occasionally having to re apply the lipstick after eating or drinking. 

All shades are rich in pigment and colour and I believe there is a shade available to suit everyone. It is very difficult to find a matte lipstick that is comfortable to wear or gives you the confidence that it will stay in tact without drying out your lips but after wearing each shade I was pleasantly surprised with each one in the range. The slightly darker shades I definitely did have to re apply after food or drink but that was expected and they still stayed just as vibrant throughout the day. My personal favourites are the brown and pink nude shades as I love wearing these at this time of the year. 

The packaging I like, I could easily distinguish these lipsticks as being Rimmel, and the slanted bullet makes for easy application. I can definitely see myself wearing every single shade from this collection, but the one I have been particularly loving is '700 Trendsetter', I think it is a great dupe for shades such as Velvet Teddy from Mac. If you go out and purchase one for £6.99 use the hashtag #liplibrary' to share your thoughts! Thanks again to Rimmel! 

(Below are some of my all time favourite Rimmel lipsticks!)