What's in my Kawaii box September?

I love love love this subscription box. I look forward to it arriving each month. This is the second box that I have received now and I love it just as much. 

I love the added touches and the whole girly-ness of it all. Look at the handwritten note that you get too.

When I first opened the small cardboard box this is what I saw inside it. The tiny box is jam packed with kawaii goodness. Just looking at all this makes me happy.

Here are all of the goodies that I received inside for approximately £11 ($18.90/month) I've just converted the dollars to UK pounds and it's saying £7.42 what an absolute bargain!

First up is this little notebook which has a strong resemblance to Boo the dog which is named the 'Lucky Bear' This will be used for taking notes and possibly blog ideas. Or maybe I'll use it for writing down things that make me happy.

How cute is this little donut charm? I received the lilac one and I've seen on Instagram that these varied in colour.

This is my favourite item in the whole box. I think that this pink alpacca 'Al Pacasso' is the most adorable item ever. What a little cutie!

I could use these shoe laces in my pink converse to change them up a little. Look at the little pink polka dot mustaches!

A little cat phone plug that you put into your phone. This would be upside down on my iPhone though as my plug is at the bottom of my phone.

I've never tried these little loom bands before so I was excited to fin a box of them in here. These have been all the craze and I'm quite creative so it'll be good to learn how to make the different items.

Oh these little biscuity sticks were absolutely delicious. They were sweet and kind of vanilla flavoured. Would definitely buy these again and you got lots in the little box as they are really thin.

This ice-cream squishy is great to squash. It feels so good! The little sprinkles drop off easily though.

Is this a card holder? I like the colours used. These are two of my favourite and I love them together.

Love this hairband. It's something that I would wear as I love hair accessories and bows.

I also love this nail wheel full of different fruits. I have one very similar to this but this has more variety inside it.

Overall - I adore this box and can't wait for next month's offering.

Love Laura xoxo

Batiste Floral Essences Review

*Batiste Floral Essences is the newest scent of Batiste that I have been using regularly on my hair. This little floral beauty is an essential to me inbetween washes to eliminate grease at the roots, add some oomph and add a freshly-washed-perfumed aroma.

On the 9th September, Batiste was the official hair care sponsor for Charlotte Ronson's S/S 2015 collection at New York Fashion Week. Backstage the lead stylist used Batiste on each of the models' hair to create an airy, natural look.

This Bright and Lively Floral Essences has top notes of water blossom with a heart of melon, peach and orange. The base notes consist of violet, muguet and rose.

The heart notes are what makes me love this scent as usually I steer towards fruit rather than florals.

The scent of this Floral Essences one is a lot more fresh and vibrant than the Batiste Floral dry shampoo.

I highly recommend Batiste dry shampoo to be used on hair in-between washes. I have a range of different scents and have used Batiste since they first arrived on the market. Even though my hair is now brunette, I find that if you spray far enough away and then either scrunch/ brush through your hair then it doesn't leave the white marks.

As soon as I've sprayed this on my hair, I'm good to go. Before these were invented it was either a case of washing hair more regularly (which really dries my hair out) or wearing a hat! (I still only like pom-pom beanie hats!)

At the moment there is half-price off Batiste products at Superdrug so you can buy this can for only £1.49 for 200ml.  We all know that I love a bargain so with that price it's time to stock up!

Have you tried this new scent?

Love Laura xoxo
*PR item kindly sent for review.

BeautyUk Pink You've Had Enough - Nail Polish Review

Pink is my favourite colour for more or less everything. I just can't get enough of it. When I saw this shade, *Pink you've had enough on BeautyUk's website, I wanted to try it. It does look a more coral pink on the website but in real life it's more of a bright Barbie pink instead. 

I went through a stage of having bare nails whilst I moved house and when I got back into a routine I found that painting my nails makes me feel that I've made an effort and instantly makes me feel dressed up.

The brush and consistency of this polish made it really easy to apply to my nails perfectly and I loved the glossy finish. It has a mostly smooth finish and only one coat is shown in the photos. Two coats are needed for a even look.

I used this polish on a bright sunny day and it was perfect for this type of day. I would still wear it on dull days and with monochrome too so that it adds fun.  

I absolutely love this colour and it really stood out ( especially against my Mickey Mouse pants which are super comfortable!)

The wearability on this without a topcoat was two days on my nails which is great as polish usually chips on the same day with me.

The polishes are affordable too at £2.99 per bottle.

Do you like pink shades?

Love Laura xoxo

*PR item kindly sent for review.

Autumnal Monochrome

It's that time of year again where the days grow chillier and the temptations of the hot chocolate and assortments of lattes beckon me. Every year I search for the perfect Autumn/ Winter coat that will predominantly keep me warm but also be stylish and compliment many outfits. 

I wore this outfit to go to Glasgow Hydro on Sunday to watch Still Game. I love watching the box set of this show as it's hilarious. It was so surreal to be sat there watching them act on the stage. They were so brilliant it was just like watching them on television. Apparently Biffy Clyro were in the audience too at the same time as us but I only found this out after the show was finished and we had got home!

I spotted this *Only Jessie Wool Coat in charcoal/black and instantly knew that I could make this work for day and night time. It would look great over a simple jumper and jeans or dressed up over an evening dress.

The coat has 50% wool which will ensure I stay snug on the coldest of days and is fully lined. It has a full zip fastening to keep out the cold and duffle toggles for a stylish finish. It has two decent sized pockets which are handy for storing my gloves in. The design of the coat, when zipped right to the top, ensures that the winter wind doesn't reach your neck.

The fit on this jacket is perfect. It states that it's A-line but on me instead of just hanging straight it goes in at my waist and out at the hips which makes it appear instantly dressed up. I always choose a size up in coats as they tend to fit me better that way so with this I'm wearing a size 12 which if you're ordering it would be a size L 12/14 (UK)

I love the added detail of the tartan hood as it compliments the charcoal really well and is perfect for Autumn and Winter time.

Underneath I'm wearing the Naberay Tuxedo jumpsuit from Rule1 Store which is a change from what I usually go for (bright coloured neons or pastel prints.) The jumpsuit fitted me really well and my coat added the perfect finishing touch. I still had to add a bright coloured necklace though from Primark as I had to show my personality even with a monochrome outfit. I chose to wear simple dolly black patent flats as I didn't think it would be practical to walk around in heels. 

I've not owned anything from the brand 'Only' before but I would highly recommend this coat for the exceptional quality, perfect fit and stylishness.

What winter coat have you chosen?

Love Laura xoxo

*PR item sent very kindly for an honest review.

Pets Rock Product Reviews by Takkoda

I was contacted by the lovely Sophy and asked if I would like to review some Takkoda Pet Rocks products.  I took one look at the website and absolutely loved the variety of animals imitating celebrities. They instantly made me smile and laugh when I saw the different characters and jumped at the chance of reviewing items from their collection. Animals in wigs highly amuses me and one look at these brightens up my day.

Pet Rocks was launched in 2008 and mixes the population's desire for celebrities and pets. They have a wide range of products for sale such as clothing, mugs, chopping boards and iPad/ iPhone accessories. I think this is a genius idea and is highly innovative. 

The two products I received were the *Pets Rock GG cushion and the *Pets Rock Breakfast USB Power Bank Battery.

The *GG Cushion is of exceptional quality and measures a square 43x43cm which is a decent size. The cushion arrives with the padded insert included which, when I have been searching for cushions to purchase in the past, a lot of them are for the cushion cover only. 

I was highly impressed with the softness of the cushion, the print of Lady Purr Purr ie 'GG' (Yes I made that name up!)

It features a faux suede on the back part which is also great quality and has a lovely soft feeling to it. The cushion has a zip fastening on the side so that you can clean it in the washing machine.

The design really stands out from the crowd and would make a feature wherever you chose to place it. Here you can see it situated on our sofa and the colour pops against the grey hues.

The *Breakfast USB is a portable charger which has rechargeable batteries inside enough for four cellphone charges / two smartphone full charges or a full tablet charge. The design is sleek, at the fashion forefront and has a Breakfast at Catnies design on the front. ( Not actually called that. I just made the Catnies part up!) I love the slimline design and the silver- mirrored back part too. This charger will be incredibly handy for travelling with even on day trips as my iPhone charger doesn't last a full day especially if you use the apps. It would also be fantastic for use at festivals or anywhere there isn't a plug socket available. I've not owned anything like this before so it's very beneficial and I will make good use from it.

The charger lights up when it is charging (as shown above.)

The Portable Power Bank has tonnes of useful and practical features and has been extremely well thought out. On the back of the packaging you can see some of the other characters that are available for other products too. It's fun to try and match up the celebrity to the animals.

My other favourite items include these;

Pets Rock Gurl Cushion

Pets Rock Twerk Wall Hanger

What's your favourite from the collection?

Love Laura xoxo

*PR items kindly sent for reviewing.

Happy 1st Birthday to Ray Of Glitter with a Baker Days Cake review

Ray Of Glitter  has turned 1 years old! I can't believe that I have been blogging for a full year and have learnt so much along the way. I'm so proud of how it has developed so far and will continue to work hard and progress further. For me blogging is an enjoyable past time which enables me to try out new items and experiences,  write reviews and create memories. It  has also opened my eyes to the blogging community, to have dedicated readers who read my words on the page and to work and collaborate with companies. 

A big thank you to all the people who take the time to read and click on my blog and a welcoming hello to all new readers too. 

Baker Days had contacted me a few weeks ago to see if I would like to review one of their letterbox cakes. I thought this would be great to coincide with a Ray Of Glitter Birthday cake to mark the occasion. Baker Days safely delivers a range of cakes throughout the UK and the letterbox cake fits through your door so there's no worry about missed parcels. There are various designs to choose from and they can also be personalised and bought from here. They have a range of sizes of cakes and also sell cupcakes too which caught my eye as I love them!

After e-mailing the design of the cake that I liked, I chose from the flavour of cakes. You can choose sponge cake at no extra cost but need to pay a little extra if you would like the choice of chocolate chip sponge, fruit cake, gluten wheat free or dairy free options. 

The concept of this is brilliant as you can send someone a treat through the post as a lovely surprise or they would be excellent if you lived far away from someone and wanted to show that you care.

There were so many design to choose from but as soon as I saw the unicorn cake I loved it and decided to opt for that one. 

The cake was delivered surprisingly quick through my letter box and arrived in perfect condition. I was delighted to see that not only had Ray Of Glitter been written on but they had also looked at my blog and written 'Beauty, Fashion, Lifestyle & Loves' which was a lovely touch. 

The price for one of these letter box cakes starts at £14.99 which for me personally is a little on the high side. The cakes are delicious, arrive quickly, can be personalised, fit through the post box and are sent free delivery so these are huge plus points. Maybe the higher price should be for the personalised ones whereas if you choose a standard option it could be cheaper?  Personalised options tend to be more expensive as the design is being individually customised which takes more time.

The cake is safely encased in a sturdy white box and the cake is placed in a round celebration tin. Inside it is wrapped in plastic to ensure freshness and they include a little paper lever so that you can pull your cake out with ease. 

I loved the added extras such as the card, balloons, candles and party blower as this adds to the whole experience. 

 The cake was extremely fresh, the icing was delicious and the cake was scrumptious. The cakes are all handmade with good quality ingredients and you can really tell. The only thing to note was that it said chocolate cake on my label but inside I received plain sponge which I didn't mind too much as I love that too.

The cake made me feel special which for that feeling is priceless. The design was good quality and adorable and the cake is of high quality. I would highly recommend this company.

What do you think of letterbox cakes?

Love Laura xoxo

*PR item sent kindly for an honest review.

BeautyUk Nail Polish Review - Daffodil Delight

Hi everyone,

The weather has been so sunny here in Edinburgh lately and so I'm making the most of the sunshine in the garden. This *Daffodil Delight from BeautyUK fits in perfectly with the bright weather and me holding onto the memories of the Summer just gone. I've never really worn yellow polish before so it was good to rock something new. It's a really unique colour which to me makes a fashion statement. The polish is priced at £2.99 which is very reasonable and you can buy it online direct from BeautyUK or from Superdrug stores also.

The polish requires two coats to ensure that you get an even finish and I found that it lasted really well on my nails so bonus points for that. As I've mentioned before, polish seems to chip on the same day as I wear it, so this to last a few days on my nails was fab. It was quite quick to dry too as compared to other polishes I've tried, I end up smudging them as they don't dry quick enough for me. I usually polish my nails at the last minute before I've got to be somewhere so a fast drying time is essential to me.

The polish really stood out and I think it could be incorporated into Autumn time too with mustard shades and navy blue hues.

Would you wear a yellow shade?

Love Laura xoxo
*PR item sent kindly for an honest review.