and other stories fragrances

Although I'd already featured these in my Christmas gift guide a few months ago, I've come to love them so much that they most definitely deserve a blog post of their own. They are all such unique combinations and put most other brands of perfume completely to shame.  Plus they are priced really well too.

Fig Fiction | I'm utterly obsessed with beauty products that have a sweet fig scent, most of which being Wild Fig and Cassis by Jo Malone. If your budget doesn't quite stretch far enough for the Jo Malone version, most definitely check out this one as an alternative. 

Botanical Whisper | This is a grown up scent with a slight zingy sharpness and is the one I'd say probably has the most different notes going on. For a truly different from the crowd type of fragrance, this is it. 

Moroccan Tea | There's something strangely satisfying about having a tea scent integrated into a perfume. If you're on the hunt for a completely uplifting, yet fresh and slightly sweet scent then this is your answer. 

Punk Bouquet | This is just about my favourite of the bunch. Think Britney Spears Fantasy but with a much more refined and sophisticated edge. It has a sultry sweetness that I simply adore, plus the bottle of this one looks so effortlessly cool.

and other stories fragrances | £26

and other stories cotton care range

The brand 'and other stories' are mainly known for their fashion section but what I've discovered is there are so many gems amongst their beauty range too. I'm a huge fan of the face contour cream which is by far the best that I've ever used. Onto the bath and body products and recently I've been trying out the cotton care range, all of the products have a beautiful light scent of fresh cotton sheets which makes them perfect to use in summer. The Nainsook Body Oil is my top pick of the collection, it's by far the best body oil that I've ever used due to it being so light feeling yet it gives the skin a healthy glow too. The Flannel Body Lotion is similar as it feels equally as lightweight but also nourishes the skin too, I'm a big fan of any body lotions that come in a pump bottle. The Madapollam Body Scrub has won a fair few beauty awards and if I was a magazine I'd give it one too, it's thick and grainy meaning it gives the skin a proper good scrub but it also doesn't leave any residue and washes off in an instant, plus it smells wonderful too. 

As you have probably gathered by now I'm greatly impressed by the range, I'm also in love with the packaging and think it looks so chic and understated on a bathroom shelf. 

winceyette shower cream - £7 |

flannel body lotion - £10 |

nainsook body oil - £12 |

madapollam body scrub - £9 |

the christmas gift guide | part three

I hope you are all enjoying my Christmas gift guides so far, the day itself is creeping closer and closer as always and I'm hoping that I'm not the only one with most of my gift buying still to do! I'm going to try to squeeze one last post in after this for all you last minute shoppers, I also have a great guide coming up for my lifestyle blog too.

Lauren's Way Tan Teasers - £19.95: I'm a big fan of Lauren's Way tanning products and I love this cute set filled with mini versions of the most popular products along with a tanning mitt. It's an ideal set to introduce someone to tanning products with or for a fake tan pro to use the minis as travel versions.

& Other Stories Cotton Care Gift Set - £40: For a larger skincare gift these & Other Stories products come presented in a chic white gift box which even includes a cotton towel. I've had a go with the Body Lotion which smells divine and gives the skin a lovely silky sheen. I absolutely adore this set and how the understated packaging looks so on-trend in my bathroom, definitely a big thumbs up. 

Sanctuary Weekend Get-Away Collection - £18: This is a wonderful little gift set for anyone on a budget yet still wanting to give a luxurious gift, it's perfect to give a friend who loves a good old pamper session. Sanctuary also have a 3-for-2 offer on their website at the moment so keep that in mind if you have lots of people to buy for! 

Burt's Bees Tips and Toes kit - £14.99 & Kissable Colour Set - £11.99: Burt's Bees always have wonderful gift sets around this time of year and these two are certainly no exception. If you are to be a bit cheeky and treat yourself to something then make it the kissable colour set, the luxury lip balms give a hint of colour which make a great (and more hydrating) alternative to lipstick.

Eve Lom Kiss Mix Star - £16: This is one of my favourite ever lip balms, it's super hydrating and leaves a minty fresh flavour on the lips that lasts really well. Given it's on the pricey side but you won't find anyone who wouldn't love this as a gift.

Nuxe Travel Kit - £9.90: I've already mentioned this Nuxe set many times on my blog before but wanted to give it a feature in my gift guide as I think it's such a fabulous set, plus it's at such a great price too!

Nourish Argan Beauty Collection - £24.95: When this set from Nourish arrived through the door I have to admit that I swooned like a madwoman, the products are just set out so beautifully and the packaging has such a luxury meets Christmas feel. I've already had a try of the Argan Skin Rescue Oil and for that alone this set is an absolute must-have, the products each have a gold, frankincense and myrrh theme too.

& other stories face contour cream

Whilst lusting over the masses of beautiful and innovative beauty products over on the & Other Stories website I convinced myself to only pick out one item and went with the Contour Cream. It looked to be right up my street as I'm always after a product that will give my cheekbones definition as I have quite a rounded baby face. I've been trying it out for a couple of weeks and it's now become a staple in my make up bag. Since it's a cream product it seems to last much longer on my skin than a powder would and is much more pigmented and easier to work with. You can either use your fingers to give a warm glow to your skin or a contour brush to sculpt the cheekbones. It's the perfect shade for contouring and paired with Stereo Rose by Mac is a match made in heaven. I absolutely love the simple and sophisticated packaging too, I will definitely be repurchasing this once I run out which I imagine will take a long time as you only need to use the tiniest amount.

& OTHER STORIES CONTOUR CREAM - £10

Click here to check out my & Other Stories haul on my lifestyle blog.