The Ride or Die Beauty Tag

The Ride or Die Beauty Tag

Thursday 29 September 2016

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The Ride or Die Beauty Tag has been making the rounds on the internet for the past couple of weeks now and I figured it was high time I joined the conversation. If I lost all my make up and skin care in a freak make up catastrophe, admittedly it's unlikely, but if I did then my debit card would take a walloping, because there are just some things that would need to be replaced immediately! These are the true beauty loves of my life, the things I cannot, nay refuse, to live without. We're not messing around here.

MAC Matte Lipstick in Mehr £15.50 from MAC

Mehr is my ultimate favourite lipstick. A rosy nude with plummy undertones, it's very flattering, it looks good on everyone and it's really low maintenance, due to the amazing formula and the long lasting matte finish. It's the best lipstick ever.

Stila Stay All Day Waterproof Liquid Eyeliner - £13 from Cult Beauty

For a long time I stopped wearing liquid eyeliner, I'm not really sure why, but then I fell in love with this incredible long lasting, pigmented, waterproof babe of an eyeliner. It's perfect! It has an impossibly fine nib that makes for really clean and precise lines so it applies beautifully. It doesn't drag the lid, it doesn't skip or smudge or flake or crumble, it stays in place all day. I love it!

MAC Powder Blush in Dame - £18.50 from MAC

Dame is the first MAC product I ever bought. I got it in the MAC store in Times Square 4 years ago, and to this day I've never found a blusher I like as much. It is stunning! A cool toned pink with a satin finish, it adds a subtle, but noticeable, healthy rosy glow to the skin, and is especially flattering on pale complexions. It's pigmented, it has amazing colour pay off, it's buttery soft and smooth and it applies like a dream. It's the perfect everyday blush, and I can say that as a fact because I did wear it everyday for 3 and a half years, and now I have a new one I'll probably do it again.

L'Oréal True Match Foundation in Rose Ivory - £9.99 from Boots

I haven't found a foundation, high end or high street, to match this one. Even after it's reformulation last year it's still my favourite and has been for nearly 10 years. It gives excellent coverage, has a natural skin-like finish and is basically a good skin day in a bottle. 'Nuff said.

Urban Decay's The Naked Palette - £38.50 from Urban Decay

I love a neutral eyeshadow palette, I have a lot of them, but nothing beats the original Naked palette. It's my most used eyeshadow palette ever,  I've used it pretty much everyday for the past year and it's still going strong. I really love it, it has an amazing shade range and the shadows themselves are really blendable and buttery soft, aside from a small amount of fall out and the hideous fuzzy packaging, I really can't fault it. It is gorgeous!

Maybelline Lash Sensational Lash Multiplying Mascara - £7.99 from Boots

After years and years of searching I've finally found the perfect mascara, and the best part is that it's only £7.99, well that and it is amazing! The formula is a true black, it's really long lasting but not a nightmare to remove, it doesn't flake or smudge and the curved rubber wand does everything. It lengthens, defines, volumises, separates, lifts and gives me lashes for days. You put this on and it's like BOOM! Lashes!

Beauty Blender - £16.00 from Beauty Blender

If I had to sacrifice all my make up brushes and keep only one tool for applying make up, this would be it. This humble, egg shaped sponge is a make up game changer and I would be lost without it. I have tried a ton of Beauty Blender dupes but they just don't compare. I've found them to be a lot denser and heavier, and no where near as soft or effective. The Beauty Blender is amazing, I use it every single day because it does everything. I use it for foundation, concealer, blusher, contouring, bronzer... the list goes on and on, but I particularly like it for sheering out make up where I've been a bit heavy handed and it's amazing for making everything look really natural and dewy.

Oskia Renaissance Cleansing Gel - £29.50 from Cult Beauty

Before this miracle bottle of epicness entered my life my skin was in a sorry state indeed. From the moment I started using this my skin has been on the upswing and the acne I was suffering from, for nearly two years, has all but disappeared. If I don't use this for a couple of days I instantly see the difference in my skin. My skin doesn't feel as clean, it feels really dry and a break out is inevitable. This just seems to keep my skin really balanced so I don't break out and it feels really nice. It also removes make up quickly and easily, with minimal effort. I love it, I love it so much.

Sunday Riley Luna Sleeping Night Oil - £85 from Cult Beauty

Another skin care item that has helped to dramatically improve the appearance of my skin. It's a retinol oil so is excellent for treating acne and signs of ageing. I don't use Luna everyday, because another bottle will set me back £85, so I live in fear of the day I run out. But, again, if this was taken from me the first thing I would do is drop the best part of £100 on another bottle, because it is that darn good! Luna is reserved for days when my skin is congested, or breaking out, and needs a little love. I apply 2 drops of this to my face before going to sleep and wake up with a guaranteed good skin day. Obsessed!

Mario Badescu Drying Lotion - £13 from Beauty Bay

I forgot to put this in the photo! Argh! Anyway... let's get past it. I love Mario Badescu's skincare in general, the Rosewater Facial Spray is another firm favourite of mine, but this is definitely one a hero product and my favourite item of skin care ever! Because it actually works! When my skin was at its very worst I was using this every night to reduce the appearance of spots and cystic acne. You pop this on any spots before you go to sleep and then in the morning it's worked it's magic, and the appearance of spots is significantly reduced, if not gone completely. It's amazing.

Anastasia Beverly Hills Dipbrow Pomade in Medium Brown - £15 from Cult Beauty

We all have one eyebrow that is perfect and one that's letting the team down, and we all have a favourite brow product to fix this. ABH's Dipbrow Pomade is mine, it's brilliant. It's a waxy mousse that shapes and defines my brows and covers any sparseness while still looking really natural. I use it every single day and you only need the tiniest little bit to get perfect brows, so it lasts ages too. Love it.

So there were definitely a few more products than I thought, I've added it all up and I would need a spare £261.98 just in case all my faves go missing... eeep.

What are your Ride or Die Beauty favourites? Let me know by commenting below - I always reply so check back -, on twitter, or dropping me an email at lolarocknroses@gmail.com. Also check out my instagram, facebook, bloglovin', snapchat -search lolarocknroses - & pinterest for regular updates.

Love love love xxx

Photo Diary from Friends Fest or The One Where We Had The Best Day Ever!!!

Photo Diary from Friends Fest or The One Where We Had The Best Day Ever!!!

Sunday 25 September 2016

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Me and my sister have been huge Friends fans for as long as I can remember. So when I got an email about Friends Fest tickets just a couple of weeks before her birthday it was a no brainer! We had to go! And yesterday, after a 10 week wait, we did! We had such a good time. 

Neither of us really knew what to expect because we'd never been before, but it was a proper festival. There was a main stage which had friends stuff going on, there was the Moonlight Diner where Monica worked in season 3, a gift shop,  a Mockolate stand, the Chick & the Duck bar, which did the most incredible cocktails (I know that because we had a lot of them!), a wedding chapel where you could try on Monica and Rachel's wedding dresses, a silent disco(!), the most amazing mac and cheese stand and, the best bit, tours of the sets. We had an amazing time. It was so cool and we even got a little bit emotional when we went round Monica's apartment. We had so much fun, it was the best day! And I will be definitely be going again next year! 

Did you get to Friends Fest? Let me know by commenting below - I always reply so check back -, on twitter, or dropping me an email at lolarocknroses@gmail.com. Also check out my instagram, facebook, bloglovin', snapchat -search lolarocknroses - & pinterest for regular updates.

Love love love xxx

P.S. Sorry about the quality of some of the photos, I ran out of space on my phone and we had to use my sister's which has a crack in the camera. Not ideal. 

My High End Lipstick Collection

My High End Lipstick Collection

Saturday 24 September 2016

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L-R: MAC Mehr, Estée Lauder Restless, MAC D for Danger, YSL Corail A Porter, MAC Girl About Town, Charlotte Tilbury Secret Salma, MAC Brave Red

Before we get into the nitty gritty of my high end lipstick collection I just wanted to quickly apologise for the lack of posts over the past week. Life's been really hectic, I feel like I haven't had the chance to stop and catch my breath lately, but I also can't tell you what I've achieved because it feels like nothing. I'm also really irritated that I've failed one of my September Goals. Grrrr! Anyway now that that's off my chest lets chat about some fancy pants lippie.

So my lipstick collection is spread out between two drawers and an empty Glossy Box - I wish I was joking - but most of them can be found in Boots and Superdrug for less than a tenner. In fact I only have 7 high end lipsticks, which yeah does sound like a lot, but not when you consider the sheer size of the rest of my lipstick collection. I haven't counted, I'm not up to the challenge. Anyway...

MAC Matte Lipstick in Mehr - £15.50 from MAC

AKA my favourite lipstick. As a life long bold, usually red, lipstick lover I'm as shocked as anyone that my actual favourite lipstick is this plummy nude. It's my go to everyday lipstick and I've worn it so much that there's really no competition. The formulation is incredible. It's long lasting, creamy, comfortable to wear and vanilla scented, which is pretty much everything I want in a matte lipstick. It isn't particularly drying, but can be if you haven't prepped properly. Lip balm, and lots of it, about 15 minutes before applying is key. Other than that it's amazing.

Estée Lauder Kendall J Pure Color Envy Matte Sculpting Lipstick in Restless - no longer available, Estée Lauder's Volatile is very similar and available here

This neon red orange hybrid is probably my least used lipstick ever. I've worn it once while I took photos for a blog post (read it here). It was an online exclusive so I couldn't swatch it to see whether it would suit me, I decided to risk it anyway and it didn't pay off. It doesn't suit me at all. Still, I can't bring myself to part with it because it was so expensive and it is gorgeous. Just not on me. Restless is very yellow toned whereas my complexion is cool toned, blue tones suit my skin type much better, yellow tones tend to make my skin look sallow and my teeth look yellow. That's really not a good look for anyone. It does have an incredible formulation, it's creamy and pigmented with really good wear time. It's also not drying and it smells incredible. It was a complete waste of money though, because I don't use it. At all.

MAC Matte Lipstick in D for Danger - £15.50 from MAC

D for Danger is one seriously beautiful berry lipstick, you guys know how much I love a berry lip! The formula for this is very similar to Mehr, but it's not quite as long lasting, as it's a little bit creamier, it also has the slightest tendency to bleed into the lip line. Nothing a bit of lip liner can't fix. It still lasts ages and smells incredible. But it's the colour that makes this really special. It's a deep, autumnal berry that looks stunning on, while being surprisingly wearable. It makes me feel like a total bad ass when I wear it. I love it.

YSL Rouge Volupté Shine in 41 Corail Á Porter - £26 from YSL

This is the prettiest lipstick in all the land. Let's all just take a moment to gaze lovingly at that dreamy gold and pink enamel packaging... okay I'm back. This is the most expensive lipstick I own, the price tag is eye watering! So much so that I closed my eyes when I bought it and then pretended it didn't happen. If we're talking about cost per wear then its been worth it because I've worn it a ton, but £26 for a lipstick is ridiculous. Are you listening YSL? Ridiculous! But it is beautiful! It's a shimmery, peach scented, pinky coral with a glossy finish. It has amazing pigmentation, the colour pay off is on point and it's very moisturising, with a texture closer to that of a lip balm than a lipstick. This does mean that it has a lot of slip to it, so it doesn't stick around when your eating/drinking, but it's lovely, especially in the summertime.

MAC Amplified Creme Lipstick in Girl About Town - £15.50 from MAC

Girl About Town holds a special place in my heart as it's the first MAC lipstick that made it's way into my heart and then my basket. A bright and bold raspberry pink, the colour is intense and ridiculously beautiful. It's an Amplified Creme finish, so isn't the most long lasting as it's really creamy, but it does have excellent wear time for a non-matte lipstick, it's incredibly pigmented and fades into an even stain. I really love this lipstick.

Charlotte Tilbury Hot Lips Matte Revolution Lipstick in Secret Salma - £23 from Charlotte Tilbury

I haven't really had time to form an opinion on the actual performance of this lipstick because I bought it on Wednesday. Me and my bestie were in Covent Garden and went into Charlotte Tilbury specifically so I could get Liv It Up. But after swatching Secret Salma I had a change of heart. Secret Salma is named for Salma Hayek as part of Tilbury's Hot Lips charity collection. Hot Lips is a range of 16 lipsticks: 4 best sellers and 12 brand new shades, named for the famous women who inspired them, with a percentage of the proceeds being donated to Women for Women. Secret Salma is one of the darker shades, a very autumn appropriate rosy plum. The colour is absolutely beautiful, and I can attest. from swatching, that the wear time is good. I swatched it on my arm two days ago and  it's still visible! And that rose gold packaging though! Droolworthy!

MAC Cremesheen Lipstick in Brave Red - £15.50 from MAC

No lip wardrobe is complete without a classic red, and that's exactly what MAC's Brave Red is. A bold pillar box red with a highly moisturising, cremesheen finish. The wear time on this isn't great, so lip liner is a must if you're wanting it to last, but it's so comfortable to wear and feels really nourishing. Brave Red is yellow toned but is surprisingly flattering against my skin type, *cough* unlike some other expensive lipsticks I could mention.

What are your favourite high end lippies? Any recommendations? Let me know by commenting below - I always reply so check back -, on twitter, or dropping me an email at lolarocknroses@gmail.com. Also check out my instagram, facebook, bloglovin', snapchat -search lolarocknroses - & pinterest for regular updates.

Love love love xxx

Rimmel Fresher Skin Foundation Review & Swatch

Rimmel Fresher Skin Foundation Review & Swatch

Saturday 17 September 2016

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The Fresher Skin foundation is the new kid on the block in Rimmel's foundation line up and one I was really eager to try. Promising 'light breathable coverage for an even, natural-looking, fresh finish that stays shine-free all day' it's whipped formula comes housed in a squat glass jar and that is just one of the many things that I don't like about it. Yep, sadly this foundation is really not for me, and I don't think it would work well for people with oily skin either.

Firstly let's talk about the packaging, which I hate. I really don't like it when foundation, or make up in general, comes in tubs or pots because it feels unhygienic to be dipping my fingers (which I always make sure are clean) in to the product. I much prefer pumps for this reason. It also makes application messy, and it's also quite difficult to gauge how much product you'll need, so you do end up wasting quite a lot of it.

So onto the product itself, I've tried it a few times now and, I hate to say it, but I really don't like it. It has a whipped, mousse-y texture that is quite creamy in consistency. It applies like a standard liquid foundation, however it goes on really patchily. Herein lies one of the biggest problems because it takes a few layers to build up to even coverage and if you're using a damp beauty blender or a brush then you're actually more likely to take off what you've just put on. I found the best way to apply it is with my fingertips but even then it doesn't go on evenly. Despite being very patchy the actual coverage itself isn't bad, not great but not bad. It's very light and natural looking and with the addition of Aloe, Sea Algae and Chamomile to the formula, it does reduce redness. It doesn't, however, cover blemishes or spots at all well. The shade range is also, sadly, limited. I picked up the shade 100 Ivory, which was a good match for me, but those with darker or more olive skin will struggle to find a decent match in this range. It's a shame when budget brands only cater to a few skin tones, but Rimmel aren't the only high street brand guilty of this. The main issue I had with the foundation, pants packaging and shade range aside, is that it doesn't sink in, it just sits on the skin and doesn't really dry down. I'll give you an example: I had some mascara smudged under my eye and when I went to wipe it off I ended up taking a load of foundation with it. I had such high hopes for this foundation and it just didn't deliver. A rare miss for Rimmel, whose foundations are some of my favourites on the high street.

Rimmel's Fresher Skin Foundation is available from Boots for an introductory price of £5.99. Rimmel products are also currently 2 for £10 in Boots.

Have you tried Rimmel's Fresher Skin Foundation? Let me know by commenting below - I always reply so check back -, on twitter, or dropping me an email at lolarocknroses@gmail.com. Also check out my instagram, facebook, bloglovin', snapchat -search lolarocknroses - & pinterest for regular updates.

Love love love xxx

What's In Their Make Up Bag? #2: Jade P

What's In Their Make Up Bag? #2: Jade P

Tuesday 13 September 2016

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Last weekend me, my cousin Gemma (read her WITMUB here) and her beautiful baby boy piled into her car to go and visit my cousin and aunty, Gemma's mum and sister, in Lowestoft for a weekend by the sea. We had a really nice time catching up with everyone, eating good food and doing a spot of shopping. And while I was there I couldn't resist having a good old snoop through Jade's make up bag. Before we get properly started though I thought I'd provide some context for you lovely people. So Jade is my cousin, she's 17 months younger than me and she's also one of my closest friends. In our misspent youth, when we used to go clubbing and stumble home in the early hours of the morning, we used to spend hours getting ready together - she puts false lashes on like a boss and she doesn't even need them! -  and that would probably be the best part of the night, that and ending the night dancing to the Baywatch theme. Anywho here's whats in her make up bag. 

Max Factor Lasting Performance Long Lasting Foundation in 106 Natural Beige - £9.99 from Boots

I love this foundation! I do try other foundations but I always come back to this one. It's my favourite. It's really comfortable to wear, it lasts all day and looks nice on. The colour is a really good match for my skin as well.

Rimmel Wake Me Up Concealer in 040 Soft Beige - £5.49 (currently 2 for £10) from Boots

I love this concealer! I like to use this under my eyes to brighten everything up, because it doesn't crease but it has enough coverage that I can use it over the rest of my face too.

Rimmel Stay Matte Long Lasting Pressed Powder in 006 Warm Beige - £3.99 (currently 2 for £10) from Boots

Rimmel is my favourite brand, they're so good but so affordable! This powder is really soft and has nice coverage. It keeps my make up in place without looking heavy and it's cheap too. 

Bourjois Délice de Poudre Gold Bronzing Powder in 51 - £7.99 (currently buy 1 get 1 half price) from Boots

This bronzer smells incredible! Just like chocolate! It's very warm but not orange and you really don't need to use a lot to get a sun kissed look. I haven't had it long and it's already one of my favourite things. I use it everyday. 

Maybelline Lash Sensational Mascara - £7.99 from Boots

I love Maybelline mascaras, the Colossal Cat Eyes Mascara is another favourite of mine, but the Lash Sensational is the one I'm using at the moment. It makes my lashes look really long and defined, L: She doesn't need it, her and Gem have got ridiculously long lashes! it also gives them loads of volume and stays on all day. It doesn't flake or anything. I love it! 

Lorac Pro 2 Eyeshadow Palette - £40.20 from Amazon

Honestly I'm not really a massive make up person - L: She's really not, she once described the Urban Decay Naked palette as expensive crayons! - but I really love this palette. My sister, Gem, gave it to me and I really like using it. It's got a ton of colours, they're all really pretty and they apply nicely. I don't tend to use eye shadow a lot, unless Gem does my eyes, but when I do this is the palette I use. 

Rimmel Kate Lasting Finish Limited Edition Lipstick in 01 Red Nose Red - £5.49 (currently 2 for £10) from Boots

This is my favourite lipstick to wear on a night out. It's a classic red that looks really glamorous on. It's quite glossy but is pigmented and lasts quite well. 

What's in your make up bag? Any recommendations? Let me know by commenting below, on twitter, or dropping me an email at lolarocknroses@gmail.com. Also check out my instagram, facebook, bloglovin', snapchat -search lolarocknroses - & pinterest for regular updates.

Love love love xxx

4 High Street Contour Kits You Need

4 High Street Contour Kits You Need

Sunday 11 September 2016

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It used to be that contouring was not something the normal girl did. Contouring was used for editorial make up or by Drag Queens and Kardashians. But in the last 5 years or so contouring has entered the mainstream consciousness and we're all at it. Even me! And it has to be said I'm really not very good at it, BUT there are some tried and tested products that even I can't mess up with, and they're all from the high street!

Rimmel Kate Sculpting Palette in 002 Coral Glow & 003 Golden Bronze - £6.99  (currently 2 for £10 on Rimmel products) from Boots

Rimmel's Kate Sculpting Palette is a super handy palette that contains a blush, highlight and contour shade. The palettes are housed in pretty, but cheap, rose gold packaging and come in two shades, three in the US you lucky devils!, 002 Coral Glow and 003 Golden Bronze. 003 Golden Bronze is warmer in tone and designed for darker skin tones, but actually works surprisingly well on paler skin tones too, I can even use it on my ghostlike complexion with no problems. The highlighter is a cool toned gold with a fine glitter running through it, the blush is a shimmery golden peach in the same vein as Nars Orgasm, and the contour is a warm matte brown. 002 Coral Glow is the lighter of the two, and more suited to my pasty skin tone, the contour shade is ashier than 003, a lighter honey tone that can double as a bronzer. The blush is a coral pink with a slight sheen to it and the highlighter is a pale champagne shimmer that adds a beautiful radiance to the skin. Despite the slightly naff packaging the overall quality is excellent. The powders themselves are blendable, soft and pigmented, with excellent colour pay off and wear time. I've been showing these palettes a lot of love lately, they're really nice.

Maybelline Master Sculpt Contouring Palette in 01 Light Medium - £6.99 (currently buy 1 get 1 half price on Maybelline products) from Boots

I've been a huge fan of this nifty little contour kit since it's release last year. The powders are smooth, silky, pigmented, easy to blend and the shades are a perfect match for my pale, verging on pasty, skin. The grey/ashy tone of the contour creates natural looking shadows on the skin, without looking muddy, allowing me to carve fairly realistic looking cheekbones into my moon face. But it's actually the highlighter that's the real star of the show! A pale ivory with a subtle golden shimmer running through it, it adds the most beautiful, natural looking radiant glow to the skin. I'm now onto my second pan of the stuff and I still love it. 

Sleek Make Up Cream Contour Kit in Light 095 - £10.99 from (currently 2 for £12 on Sleek products) from Boots

I picked this up in a recent Sleek Haul (read more here) and I have to say this palette is the ultimate in drugstore contouring. It's amazing! A high street dupe for the now cult Anastasia Beverley Hill's Contour Kit, Sleek's cream offering is something very special indeed. Made up of six shades: two highlighters, a concealer and three contouring shades, there is something for everyone and every contour look you could ever want to achieve. The palette is available in Light, Medium and Dark. I have the Light palette as my skin is very fair, - read deathly pale - and it works really well for me. The creams themselves are flawless! Velvety, blendable and well pigmented. They apply beautifully, without moving any of the make up underneath and sit really nicely on the skin. With  a palette like this you have so many options but personally, I like to pack on the colour with the Real Techniques Contour Brush and blend out with a Beauty Blender for a more natural look. I love this palette a lot, and tend to use it more when I'm going out and need something that will last a long time,  or want my contour to be a bit more dramatic.

L'Oréal Infallible Sculpt Contouring Palette in Light/Medium - £9.99 (currently 3 for 2 on L'Oréal products) from Boots

I've raved about this contour kit from L'Oréal in a previous post (read more here) and it really does have a special place in my heart. I might even go so far as to say it's my favourite contouring product - but it does have some stiff competition! - it's that good! I've used it so much you can see the dent I've made in it! The most natural of the bunch, the cream to powder formulation is on point, combining the wear time of a powder and the finish of a cream. The formula is smooth, blends seamlessly into the skin and looks awesome! I have the shade Light/Medium, which I'll be the first to admit does look quite scary and dark in the pan, but it's cool toned so once it's applied it looks natural and shadow-like on the skin. The highlighter is very subtle and I've not had a ton of use out of it to be honest. Even so I love this contour palette and if I could only have one this would be it.

What are your favourite contouring products? Let me know by commenting below, on twitter, or dropping me an email at lolarocknroses@gmail.com. Also check out my instagram, facebook, bloglovin', snapchat -search lolarocknroses - & pinterest for regular updates.

Love love love xxx