March Beauty Favourites 2015

March Beauty Favourites 2015

Tuesday 31 March 2015

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With uni deadlines and dissertation meetings and actual work March has just flown by in a pressure filled blur, my downtime was all about Netflix, comfies and no make up. So I don't have a lot of Beauty Favourites this month, (Non-Beauty Favourites on the other hand...) but the ones I do have are favourites for a reason so let's do this. 

Clinque High Impact Mascara 

AKA one of the best mascaras to ever grace my lashes, and I do not say that lightly. It is seriously amazing. It has a blacker than black formula that is super long lasting and a fibre brush that really pumps up the volume but also grips the lashes, coating even the tiniest of lashes from root to tip, leaving me with super volumised, dramatic lashes. I love it. 

Kryolan for Glossy Box Highlighter in Cashmere 

Normally I'm not a massive fan of highlighters, particularly cream ones, because I always think I'm using them wrong but this one has a lovely creamy formula that blends really nicely into the skin leaving a really subtle, pearly sheen behind. Even a noob like me can use it with ease.  It's lovely. 

Seventeen Phwoaar Paint Heavy Duty Under Eye Concealer in Fair

 I can't imagine the day when I won't love this concealer. In fact I've raved about it so much in the past that it must be really getting old now but hey ho!  It has a lovely creamy consistency, gives great coverage, covering anything from dark circles to big juicy blemishes, and stays in place all day.  It's one of my absolute faves!

Maybelline Color Tattoo 24HR in On & On Bronze

My eyelids have been suffering lately, my hayfever has kicked in early this year and they've been so sore that for a long time eye makeup was completely out of the question. They've finally started to heal so I've been wearing this to ease myself back into eye makeup. I seriously forgot how much I loved this shadow. The colour is a rich, shimmery bronze that can be slicked on for a subtle wash of colour or built up for a super smokey bronzed goddess-y look. The formula itself if lovely, really creamy and long lasting and it is the easiest smokey eye ever. Just swipe it on and blend it out. Simples.

Garnier Intensive 7 Days Restoring Hand Cream for Dry Chapped Hands

A combination of stress, eczema and  overusing  hand sanitizer has left my hands in the worst condition they've ever been in. They were dry and chapped and cracking and nothing was working... until I found this, it has been an absolute lifesaver for my poor, sore hands.  Containing ultra nourishing shea butter  and other lovelies, the formula is fast acting and fast absorbing leaving my hands feeling soft and nourished and in much better condition then they were  a couple of weeks ago. My hands aren't totally back to normal yet but they're getting there and it's all down to this.

N.Spa Skin Renewal Gel

 My absolute favourite discovery of the year so far. A bold claim, yes, but I seriously, seriously love it.  This is a no-grain exfoliator, which I couldn't really wrap my head around at first, BUT then I tried it and it is incredible. You massage the gel into dry skin, leave it for a minute or two, and then continue massaging it until it breaks down into an oil before washing it off with warm water.  It gently melts away dead skin cells and leaves skin feeling so soft and smooth and so clean. It smells lovely too and just feels so luxurious.  I am totally obsessed. 

Kleenex Blue Beauty Mask  

I have really sensitive eyes, I never used to but after an awful bout of hayfever last year they've been super sensitive to everything. Most of the time they're fine but every now and then they flare up so badly and it is really painful. Lately they've been itchy, swollen, tight and so painful to the point that I haven't been able to wear eye makeup. This mask is pretty much the only thing that helps. It's so cooling and soothing against the skin and it brings the swelling right down. Just pop it in the fridge for an hour and it is good to go. The only downside is that you do tend to look like a serial killer when you wear it. 

Those were my March Beauty Favourites, what were yours? Let me know on twitter, by commenting below or dropping me an email to lolarocknroses@gmail.com.  

I'll be back on Thursday with my March Non-Beauty Favourites until then check me out on instagram, Bloglovin, facebook and pinterest. 

Love love love xxx

First Impressions: Rimmel's Lasting Finish 25 Hr Skin Perfecting Full Coverage Foundation

First Impressions: Rimmel's Lasting Finish 25 Hr Skin Perfecting Full Coverage Foundation

Thursday 26 March 2015

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Sorry for the two week absence folks, uni work has once again reared it's ugly head and I have had no choice but to spend my days in the library, slaving over a keyboard and trying to figure out why postmodernism matters (Hint: It doesn't!). Luckily that's all done and dusted for the moment and it's business as usual. 

Now that's out of the way let's talk about Rimmel's Lasting Finish 25 Hr Skin Perfecting Full Coverage Foundation in 100 Ivory shall we? 

Let's start with the positives, leave the Negative Norah bit for later. It  gives great coverage, I mean seriously good coverage. It also has great wear time, I'm not sure if it lives up to it's 25 hour promise (because seriously who needs to wear foundation for 25 hours?!) but it lasts really well, all day in fact  and (bizarrely) looks better the longer you have it on.   

Now onto the negative. The formula has a thick, almost gloopy consistency that is quite patchy when you first apply it, it takes a lot of working into the skin to get an even base, and even then it does tends towards the cakier side of things. It's really mattifying - as a rule I prefer a dewy or satin finish - and quite drying, because of this it doesn't feel very nice on the skin. It takes a really long time to absorb, it just sits on the skin and feels kinda tacky for up to an hour after application, which is really weird considering how drying it is. 

Now by the looks of things this foundation has recently been reformulated, so I'm not sure if mine is from an older batch with a different formula. Either way I found this particular bottle to be lacking. I expect a lot from my foundation and this just didn't cut it. It's disappointing because I think Rimmel's foundations are some of the best on the high street, particularly the Match Perfection and the Nude Lasting Perfection foundation but this one just doesn't live up to it.  

Have you tried Rimmel's Lasting Finish 25 Hr Skin Perfecting Full Coverage Foundation? Love it? Hate it? Let me know on twitter, by commenting below or dropping me an email at lolarocknroses@gmail.com. Also check me out on instagram, bloglovin, facebook & pinterest. 

I'll be back on Sunday with my March Beauty Favourites. 

Until then...

Love love love xxx

Tangle Teezer Vs. Easy Tease

Tangle Teezer Vs. Easy Tease

Thursday 12 March 2015

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I first got the Tangle Teezer about two years ago and I absolutely loved it. Since then I have discovered the Easy Tease, a spot on dupe for the Tangle Teezer that retails at a fraction of the price. So the question is which is better? 

Designed to glide smoothly through wet hair without stretching or breaking the hair theTangle Teezer is a bit of a cult favourite in the beauty world due to its amazing hair detangling abilities.  When I first got it I thought it was fantastic (read more about that here) and could see that it had made a noticeable difference to the condition of my hair. 2 years later and its kind of a different story.  The problem with the Tangle Teezer is that the bristles are quite flimsy and over time  they've gotten squished and are more fragile and bend easily so it doesn’t really work as well as it used to.

 The Easy Tease is very similar to the Tangle Teezer in that it is designed to use on wet hair without damaging it. However it has much firmer  bristles so it detangles better and glides through my hair so easily, getting rid of knots and tangles like it ain't no thing. The Easy Tease has a handle so I find its easier to use, I know that sounds really silly but the Tangle Teezer  is handle-less and most of the time I end up dropping it. 

Personally I prefer the Easy Tease. It's really easy to use, detangling my hair in seconds and at £1.99 from Home Bargains is a fifth of the cost of a Tangle Teezer. 

Have you tried either the Tangle Teezer or Easy Tease? What did you think? Which did you prefer? Let me know on twitter, by commenting below or by dropping me an email to lolarocknroses@gmail.com. 

In the meantime check out my instagram, Bloglovin, facebook & pinterest.

Love love love xxx

Book Haul

Book Haul

Tuesday 10 March 2015

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As an English Lit student I do a lot of reading, like A LOT a lot.  I remember a time when I used to read for no other reason than I wanted too...but sadly this is no longer the case. I can't wait for the day when I can read something, anything, without having to analyse and then form an opinion on it.  These are just some of the books I've been stockpiling for that joyous day. 

Brunette Ambition by Lea Michele

My love for Lea Michele is widely documented - read more about that here and here! - As far as girl crushes go this one is pretty serious. I've been desperate  to read her book since it came out last year but have never got round to picking it up.  I've had a quick flick through and it looks good. I'm really excited to finally get to read it. 

Grace's Guide: The Art of Pretending to be a Grown-Up

I'll be honest I haven't even known about Geace Helbig for that long but since listening to her interview with Rhett & Link on Earbiscuits I thought she was really funny so I watched a couple of her videos and whilst she's not my favourite Youtuber I can easily lose an hour or two watching her videos. Plus pretending to be a grown up is basically what I do in my day to day life so it's nice to know I'm not alone. 

The Glam Guide by Fleur De Force

This is the only one of the books that I’ve actually read, because I couldn't actually wait... so I didn't. I am seriously girlcrushing on Fleur De Force at the moment and once I got my hands on this beautiful book I didn't want to put it down. It was a great distraction, full of make up tips and tricks and I loved it.  

Love Tanya by Tanya Burr

I like Tanya Burr so when her book came out it was a bit of a no-brainer. I haven't really had the chance to look through it yet but I've read reviews and they're generally good.  

Girl Online by Zoe Sugg AKA Zoella

I'm not gonna weigh in on the Zoella ghost writer controversy I'm just not going to. I like Zoe's videos and I love YA fiction so again this was a no brainer. I'll let you know how I get on. 

Autobiographies aren’t usually my cup of tea BUT I thought I would make an exception for Amy Poehler because I love her. She is one funny lady. After the end of Parks and Recreation I have been in dire need of an Amy Poehler fix. This book has been everywhere lately, sadly I'm drowning in uni reading so I can't read this yet but expect a full review when I do.  

Another autobiography by another of my favourite funny ladies. Jennifer Saunders is one of my favourite comedians. Not only did she create the glorious Absolutely Fabulous but she was a member of The Comic Strip in the 80s, alongside Ade Edmondson, Rik Mayall and Dawn French, all of whom I am a big fan of. So I can't wait to get stuck in. 

As you can see I'm a big fan of a kick ass women, particularly funny women and I can't wait to get stuck in to this lovely lot. 

What books are you dying to read or loving at the moment? Let me know on twitter, commenting below or by dropping me an email at lolarocknroses@gmail.com and while you're there check me out on instagram, Bloglovin, facebook and pinterest. 

Hope you guys have a lovely week, I'll be back on Tuesday

Until then... 

Love love love xxx

Review of Rimmel I ❤️ Lasting Finish Nail Polish in Fancy a Dip?

Review of Rimmel I ❤️ Lasting Finish Nail Polish in Fancy a Dip?

Sunday 8 March 2015

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I really didn’t need another polish to add to my increasingly  ridiculous nail varnish collection – at last count it was nearly 300! Excessive much?! – but after seeing this gorgeous neon sky blue how could I resist?! I couldn’t and I didn’t. 

I have really mixed feelings about this polish. On the one hand the colour is beautiful, on the other hand the formula is not.  I don't know if I got a bad batch or if the formula's just not very good, either way it's lacking. It was really watery, took FOUR coats to be opaque and even then was really streaky. I was so disappointed because the colour itself is stunning. Luckily it is incredibly similar to Barry M's Gelly Hi-Shine Nail Paint in Blueberry, which is equally gorgeous and has a much better formula.  

Have you tried Rimmel's Fancy a Dip? or Barry M's Blueberry? What did you think? Which do you prefer? Let me know on twitter, by commenting below or dropping me an email at lolarocknroses@gmail.com.  Also check me out on instagram, facebook, Bloglovin & pinterest. 

Have a lovely weekend and I'll be back on Tuesday.  

Until then... 

Love love love xxx

Lola Rocks #4... The Kodaline Obsession

Lola Rocks #4... The Kodaline Obsession

Thursday 5 March 2015

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In the last few weeks I have been ranting and raving and shouting my love for Kodaline from the rooftops. I thought the best course of action, so that I won't continue to bore you lovelies with my obsession,  would be to dedicate a post to my favourite songs by Kodaline and get it all out of my system.  So without further ado let's talk Kodaline. 

Talk from In a Perfect World 

It's common knowledge round these here parts that sad songs are my faves. I don't like being sad but I love sad songs. Don't know why.  Anyway Talk is one of my absolute favorites but it is so sad. It's lovely but heartbreaking so obviously I adore it. Now please excuse me while I cry my eyes out for days whilst listening to this song.  I'm joking... sort of. 

Honest from Coming Up for Air 

Honest is probably the least sad out of all my favourites, while it's not sad exactly it's not really a happy song - obviously, otherwise I probably wouldn't like it as much -  I love it, it's my favourite track from Coming Up for Air.  It's different  not enough isolate fans. I think it's a great song. 

Latch from In a Perfect World

 

This song is another one that I've just loved and listened to repeatedly since the moment I first heard it. Latch is one of those songs where if you actually look at the lyrics it isn't actually a sad song, it's about finding the person you love and keeping them around. It's a happy song and yet it doesn't sound like one. It's so sad and has made me cry more than once but it's a happy song. Work that one out! 

High Hopes from In a Perfect World

 

This is the song that first introduced me to Kodaline, what with me being about 2 steps behind the rest of the world and all, so it will always have a special place in my heart. It's such a beautiful song and I fell in love with it the first time I heard it. 

and my absolute favourite song is... 

The Answer from In a PerfectWorld

 

This is the most played song on my itunes ever. We're talking triple digits here people. This song genuinely feels like it was written for me, which is stupid because I know it wasn't,  but it just feels like it was. It's absolutely beautiful. I seriously crazy, stupid, love it! The problem is I actually can't listen to it without crying but I do anyway. 

There's a reason I love Kodaline so much, with a lot of their songs, particularly The Answer, it feels like they're  speaking directly to me and only to me... they're not and I know that but I love these particular songs (and their music in general) for that reason. I am aware of how cheesy this sounds.  And just to clarify I do like other music by other people. 

Those are my Top 5 Kodaline songs and I promise I will never talk about Kodaline again... I'm probably going to talk about them again I won't talk about them as much. Promise.

What are your favourite songs? Kodaline or otherwise! Let me know on twitter, by commenting below or dropping me an email at lolarocknroses@gmail.com . Also check out my instagram, facebook, Bloglovin & pinterest and I will be back on Sunday. 

Until then... 

Love love love xxx

*Disclaimer* I own none of the videos featured. Videos used for entertainment purposes only. 

February Favourites 2015

February Favourites 2015

Tuesday 3 March 2015

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It's that time of the month again - no not that time! - where I tell you lovely people about the things I've been loving over the past 4 weeks.  So grab yourselves a cup of tea - maybe a snack,  make yourselves comfortable and let's do this! 

Bourjois Dotting Tool  

When it comes to nail art I am worse then useless. Honestly it's pretty amazing that I can even paint my own nails but this dotting tool is so easy to use that even a noob like me can use it and make decent looking polka dots. So simple but so effective. 

No 7 Make Up Brush Cleanser 

Not the most exciting of beauty favourites but definitely one of the more necessary.  Every make up lover knows what an absolute ball-ache it is to clean make up brushes. It's a necessary evil but it's time consuming and boring and I always end up with prune hands. BUT this has made the whole thing so much easier.  I use this once a week to spot clean my brushes - I deep clean once a month - and it's so good. It's not too alcohol-y so it doesn't dry out my brushes and takes no time at all. 2 pumps onto some kitchen towel, swirl the brush and voila clean brushes.

Maybelline Color Drama Intense Velvet Lip Pencil in #520 Light It Up 

I ADORE the Maybelline Color Drama Intense Velvet Lip Pencils. So when I saw this gorgeous blue toned red, it was a no brainer,  I simply had to have it. The formula is delightful. It's creamy but long lasting and doesn't bleed into the lip line.  It is so comfortable to wear, has an amazing colour pay off and a beautiful velvety matte finish. I will be adding more of these to my growing collection because they're gorgeous. 

Collection Lasting Perfection Ultimate Wear Concealer in #2 Cool Medium

This was a favourite last month and it's so good that it's a favourite this month too.  I won't bang on about it too much for fear of repeating myself and boring you lovely people but trust me it's amazing.  It has great coverage, is easily blendable and I love it. 

PS Nail Polish in Silvery Lilac 

This polish is amazing and cost £1. Yep you read that right.  £1. The formula is fabulous. It's thick and creamy yet easily workable, it is so easy to apply, is uniformly opaque within 2 coats and the colour, as you can see, is ridiculously pretty. I love it. 

O.P.I in Peace & Love & O.P.I 

I have been lusting after O.P.I's Peace & Love & O.P.I for months now so I was over the moon when my sister picked it up for me at Sally's (she's a sweetheart).  It is the most beautiful dark purple and green duo-chrome. Now I really like O.P.I but sometimes the formula can be a bit pants, and this one does tend to lean towards the streaky side however it only takes three coats to be opaque and it is so worth it because the colour is seriously gorgeous and mermaid-like. 

The Glam Guide by Fleur De Force

Okay,so my girlcrush on Fleur De Force continues. I've been reading a lot of youtubers guide books lately, they're a great distraction from the mind numbingly dull reading I have to do for uni (Post-modernism? Seriously, who cares?!), and The Glam Guide is my absolute favourite. It's beautifully illustrated, nicely written and the photography is amazing. I love it. 

Serial

Image via 

I spend a lot of time travelling between home and uni, with me not being able to drive and there being no direct train it means a two hour bus journey each way. I can't read because I get travel sick so podcasts have fast become one of my favourite things. And oh my God! Serial is my favourite, it is beyond amazing. It's completely addictive and absolutely fascinating. I've even got  my mum listening to it  and she never listens to me. That's how good it is!

Tetley's Green Tea with  Apple & Blackberry 

AKA the most delicious green tea ever. Now I'm a big green tea drinker, have been for years. And as a seasoned green tea pro I know that a lot of flavoured green teas are not good, this one is amazing.  I picked this up because I ran out of tea and wanted to try something new. It is so warming and comforting and so yummy that I can't stop drinking it. Seriously I've been through at least 3 boxes, which is 60 cups of tea.

Malteaster Bunnies 

I have been eating these non-stop because Easter Chocolate is actually the best. I don't even like Malteasers, Malteaster Bunnys, on the other hand, are a whole other kettle of yummy chocolate bunny-fish.

Pat Benatar - All Fired Up 

Okay so All Fired Up by Pat Benatar maybe  the most eighties thing to ever eighties BUT that's what makes it awesome. IT has  been getting me out of bed in the mornings. Why?! Because it just gets me ALL FIRED UP!  (that's right I went there!)  Seriously though whenever I listen to this song I get so pumped and motivated that I am ready to hit the ground running. It's such a good song! 

Kodaline

Okay I promise I'll stop talking about Kodaline soon! I'm having a moment of obsession and I'm just really loving them right now. The new album Coming Up for Air is really good, but personally I prefer their first album. In a Perfect World is incredible, and made all the more impressive considering it was their debut! Seriously I feel like Steve Garrigan - who I believe is the song writer - cracked open my heart and turned what he found there into amazing and beautiful music that I could listen to over and over again (definitely have done that) and yes I am aware of how unbelievably cheesy that sounds. 

So those were my February Favourites what were yours?  Let me know by commenting below, on twitter or by dropping me an email at lolarocknroses@gmail.com. Also check out my instagram, facebook, Bloglovin & pinterest for daily updates. 

Have a lovely week and I'll see you soon, 

Love love love xxx

*Disclaimer* I own the photos only, I do not own the Pat Benatar or Kodaline video, videos were used for entertainment purposes only.