Lauren with the Red Hair

Monday, 22 September 2014

This post has been waiting patiently in the wings, dreaming of stardom and longing for it's moment in the spotlight. So I thought that as the last vestiges of summer slip away to be replaced by the cool, crisp air and falling leaves of Autumn - that was quite poetic! - I would give you the low down on the lipsticks I was rocking throughout the summer months.

Now red is something of a signature colour of mine being both my hair colour and (usual) lipstick colour of choice, however when the sun is beating down there is only one colour I reach for again and again (and again and again!). Fuschia!

Whilst I'm not a real fan of pink in general I love nothing more than a bold fuschia lip in the summertime. So as we come to the end of Summer (and from the weather we've had recently summer is clearly over!) and the start of my favouritest season I thought these fabulous fuschia lippies deserved their moment of glory before they are unceremoniously dumped in favour of berry tones and autumnal shades.

Rimmel London Moisture Renew Lipstick in As You Want Victoria

Now as far as lipsticks go I am not adverse to a glossy lip but generally I prefer a matte finish to a glossy one. However this lipstick may have converted me, the colour is gorgeous and the formula is really moisturising. I'm a fan.

Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvet in Olé Flamingo

I love EVERYTHING about this liquid lipstick. The colour is gorgeous, the packaging is adorable and the formula has some serious staying power. I have four of the Rouge Edition Velvets but Olé Flamingo is my favourite, Pink Pong (see below) is a close second.

Rimmel London Apocalips Lip Lacquer in Apocaliptic

The release of the Apocalips Lip Lacquers saw the beginning of my love affair with the shade Apocaliptic. There was a time not so long ago when I didn't leave the house without this slicked on my lips. It is fabulous. The colour is beautiful and the formula whilst not the most long lasting does have a good couple of hours of wear time before needing to reapply. I love it.

MAC Amplified Crème Lipstick in Girl About Town

The much talked of MAC Amplified Crème Lipstick in Girl About Town could be my absolute favouritest lipstick ever. It is the most gorgeous blue tinted fuchsia with a formula that is as stunning as the colour itself. It is so creamy and moisturising and smells like vanilla, which is amazing. Of all the lipsticks mentioned in this post MAC's Girl About Town is my favourite.

Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in Lovesick Passionee

This has to be my favouritest lip stain ever. Lip stains can be tricky, in my experience they're either really pigmented but have a watery or drying formula OR they are moisturising but have virtually no colour. This is the best of both worlds! It has the texture of a lip balm, so is super nourishing and has the most amazing colour pay off leaving a bright pop of colour on the lips. Gorgeous.

Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvet in Pink Pong

This is Olé Flamingo's cooler, funkier younger sister. The formula is good, as I've mentioned and the finish is really matte without being drying and the colour is really sassy. It's like a bad ass barbie pink. 'Nuff said.

L-R: Rimmel London Moisture Renew Lipstick in As You Want Victoria, Rimmel London Apocalips Lip Lacquer in Apocaliptic, Revlon, Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvet in Pink Pong & Olé Flamingo and MAC Amplified Crème Lipstick in Girl About Town

So have you tried any of these fab fuschias? What did you think? Love them? Hate them? Let me know on twitter or by commenting below or even by dropping me an email lolarocknroses@gmail.com. If you do comment I try to always reply so do check back. Also check out my facebook, Bloglovin, instagram & pinterest.

Until next time lovely people

Love love love xx

Saturday, 13 September 2014

Friday I'm in Love #11

Saturday, 13 September 2014

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L-R: V05 Smoothly Does It Curl Defining Mousse, Barry M Gelly Hi-Shine Nail Paint in Chai and Frizz Ease Dream Curls Daily Styling Spray.

Barry M Gelly Hi-Shine Nail Paint in Chai

I am struggling to remember a time when I haven't mentioned a Barry M Polish and for the life of me I don't think such a time exists. Good Old Barry, the undisputed King of High Street nails, will always be one of my favourites. Chai is a new release, part of Barry M's new Autumn collection. I love grey nails, always have and this one has become a fast favourite. I won't bang on about the formula and how good it is, we all know how good Barry M's formula is. So all I will say is that it is gorgeous and let's just leave it at that.

V05 Smoothly Does It Curl Defining Mousse

I use this on an every other daily basis and yet have somehow never actually mentioned it on here. This is a staple in my haircare routine (which has taken years of perfecting by the way) and one of the strongest weapons in my frizz fighting arsenal. The mousse is amazing it get's rid of frizz and strongholds my hair into smooth curls rather than fuzzy ringlets. It is also really longlasting, it's a little bottle but it goes a long way.

Frizz Ease Dream Curls Daily Styling Spray

This is a recent addition to the aformentioned frizz fighting arsenal (I like the metaphor, I'm sticking with it.) John Frida deserves a medal for Frizz Ease. The spray is really light weight and gives me really nice curls without any kind of sticky crunchiness. My curls are quite tight but this relaxes my hair a little bit, leaving me with looser, frizz free curls. I am in love with it.

Picture via www.amazon.com

This week I have been really poorly, I have acute laryngitis which is refusing to shift. I've almost completely lost my voice and am coughing constantly so it hasn't been a great week to be honest. Now when I'm sick there are a couple of things I like to do to make myself feel better (read more about that here) but one of them is to lose myself in a really good book. And this week that came in the form of How to Fall in Love by Cecelia Ahern, which I thoroughly enjoyed. How to Fall in Love tells the story of Christine Rose, owner of a recruitment company and lover of Self-Help books, who meets Adam when he is trying to commit suicide by jumping off the Ha'Penny Bridge in Dublin. Determined not to let that happen Christine and Adam strike up a deal in which Christine has 2 weeks to prove to Adam that life is worth living. I thought it was amazing and really brave of Ahern to write about such a taboo subject. I couldn't put it down, I thought the story itself was lovely and very moving and I loved it.

My SOTW this week may seem a little bit strange but hear me out. Like Whoopi in Sister Act 2 my taste in music is completely eclectic, whilst I will admit to a passion for classic rock, particularly from the 80's and it is no secret that I love Bruce Springsteen more than I love... well anything. Anyway I have gone completely off point here, the point was I love music and in anticipation for Cilla (which starts on ITV on Monday, I can't wait!) I downloaded Anyone Who Had A Heart performed by the lady herself and I kinda love it. I already had the Dionne Warwick version on my iPod but Cilla's is surprisingly good. Being a 90's child I only knew Cilla Black as the red haired, Liverpudlian present of Blind Date but... she can sing! Who knew?! Mark my words I will be singing this loudly and proudly in the shower just as soon as my voice returns.

So those were my loves for the week. I am off to bed for the rest of the day, probably the weekend, where I will be coughing and croaking until someone brings me tea. Enjoy the rest of your weekend! If you find some time and feel like cheering up a poorly girl, check me out on twitter, facebook, Bloglovin, instagram and pinterest and give me a cheeky like or follow ;)

Love love love xxx

PS If anyone would like to see a post detailing my haircare routine and the sheer effort it takes to maintain my hair then let me know either by commenting below or on twitter. If you do comment I always reply so do check back. L xx

Thursday, 11 September 2014

Inside August's Birchbox

Thursday, 11 September 2014

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L-R: Nude Progenius Omega Treatment Oil, Supergoop! Daily Correct SPF35 CC Cream, Chella Highlighter Pencil, Vasanti Brightenup! Enzymatic Face Rejuvenator, Number 4 Super Comb & Protect Leave in Conditioner & Supergoop! Daily Correct SPF35 CC Cream.

L-R: Nude Progenius Omega Treatment Oil,Vasanti Brightenup! Enzymatic Face Rejuvenator, Number 4 Super Comb & Protect Leave in Conditioner & Chella Highlighter Pencil.

L-R: Supergoop! Daily Correct SPF35 CC Cream, Chella Highlighter Pencil, Number 4 Super Comb & Protect Leave in Conditioner, Nude Progenius Omega Treatment Oil & Vasanti Brightenup! Enzymatic Face Rejuvenator.

This post has been in the pipeline for weeks but for some reason or other I just hadn't got around to it however I got an email this morning saying that my September Birchbox had been dispatched and I thought I'd better get a wriggle on and share the delights of August's Birchbox before it was officially too late.

Last month's Birchbox was all about Holidays, and whilst it doesn't look like I'll be heading off on my Hollybobs anytime soon. I did really appreciate the contents. So without further ado let's finally do this!

Chella Highlighter Pencil

I actually clapped when I saw this. I have been wanting a highlighting pencil for a while and sometimes it's like the good people at Birchbox can actually read my mind, being in pencil form it is ridiculously easy to apply. with a really nice formula that is easy to blend. I'm a bit wary when it comes to highlighter but this is rather fabulous.

Supergoop! Daily Correct SPF35 CC Cream

There were 2 of the cutest and tiniest sample bottles I have ever seen. There are so adorable. Now as far as Supergoop goes I had genuinely no clue about this brand. Then after some googling I discovered that Supergoop, founded in 2006, specialises in lightweight, easy to wear sun screen and skin protection products. Now being a sensitive, fair skinned lassie sun screen is ridiculously important - for everyone not just me-. I haven't actually tried it yet, what with the current stream of drizzle not exactly lending itself to sun cream, but I will keep you posted.

Number 4 Super Comb & Protect Leave in Conditioner

My hair is... difficult to say the least. At the best of times it does tend to err on the frizzy side of things, but in the summer my hair goes from difficult to clinically insane. The sun dries it out and the humidity makes it 10 times it's original size - and it's pretty big anyway, but this leave-in conditioner has been a total lifesaver. It has stopped the sun from drying out the ends of my hair and manages to exert some level of control over my wild and tangled mane. In love.

Nude Progenius Omega Treatment Oil

Nude is a brand, established in 2007, that a specialises in natural, high perfomance skin care. Again it was not a brand that I had come across before. I have always had a bit of a phobia of serums. In the past I have been afraid to use serums due to the fact that I have combination skin that likes to break out. But this is lovely, it feels so nice against the skin and is really kind to the skin. I was so impressed.

Vasanti Brightenup! Enzymatic Face Rejuvenator

I had never ever heard of Vasanti before but anything that promises a renewed and refreshed complexion is okay in my book. After giving it a whirl I can say in total honesty that it is amazing. It made my skin feel incredible and so clean. I will definitely be repurchasing.

So that was August's Birchbox, unfortunately it's no longer available BUT September's is and it looks awesome. If you don't already subscribe (and strongly I recommend you do!) you can do so here. I'm sorry that this was so late August was sso hectic that I am still wrapping up all the loose ends. I promise that my August Favourites will be going up before the end of the week/weekend. Until then you can read about previous Birchboxes here and here and you can check me out on twitter, facebook, Bloglovin, instagram & pinterest.

Love love love xxx

Wednesday, 10 September 2014

2 Stars... #11

Wednesday, 10 September 2014

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Happy Wednesday! I have had a hell of a week so I hope everyone's week is going better than mine. After over 2 weeks of the most painful and irritating dry cough, this morning I finally dragged myself to the GP where I was told that I have Acute Laryngitis and have been told that I have to rest my voice for a couple of days. Which for a chatterbox such as myself is a tall order anyway BUT my day job is basically 8 hours of me talking to people so it's not been easy to say the least. But I am ready to put all that aside for a moment and get started on this weeks 2 Stars & A Wish. I may not be able to talk but I can still type damnit!

M&S Lemon Hand Butter

AKA the best handcream to ever grace my humble hands. Now having slightly germophobic tendancies and working in the environment I work in my hands get really dry and sore if I don't constantly moisturise. I have tried a fair few handcreams in my time BUT this could be the very best. The formula is incredible. It is really thick and creamy with a lovely buttery consistency that somehow manages to be non-greasy and sinks into the skin really quickly. It also smells gorgeous, like a cross between lemon sherbet and lemon cheesecake. All that and it cost something ridiculously cheap like £1.74 at an M&S Outlet. So not only is it incredible it was a total bargain. Love it.

Barry M Nail Paint in Cappucino

Last Friday, after a long day at work I decided to pop into Boots for a quick pick me up where I unexpectedly bumped into my best friend/enabler and before I knew it this little beauty and 3 other autumn-y nail polishes had found their way into my basket. Now my nail polish collection is the stuff of legend (well not really), with 200+ polishes I really don't need anymore. However nowhere in my extensive collection is there a shade quite like this. It is a beautiful smokey mauve with subtle grey and brown undertones. It is gorgeous and absolutely perfect for Autumn. Now being Barry M it obviously has the formula that Barry M is famous for, applies like a dream with some serious staying power. I can see this becoming a firm favourite. I also picked up Chilli, Chai and Coconut (Oh my God I just realised they all begin with the letter C!) so expect to see more about them up here very soon.

This week I found myself without a Wish, despite everything else, it has been an incredibly positive week make up wise at least.

So those were my Stars for this week?What do you think? Love them? Hate them? Let me know on twitter using the hashtag #2StarsandaWish or #2Stars or by commenting below. If you do comment I always try to reply so do check back. Anyway that's it for me today but check me out on facebook, Bloglovin, instagram & pinterest.

Until next time lovely readers

Love love love xxx

Saturday, 6 September 2014

Friday I'm in Love #10

Saturday, 6 September 2014

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L - R: Neutrogena Visibly Clear Blackhead Eliminating Daily Scrub, Barry M Gelly Hi-Shine Nail Paint in Chili, Soap & Glory Blush Brick in Love at First Blush, Rimmel London Wake Me Up Anti-fatigue Effect & Radiant Glow Concealer in the shade 040 Soft Beige & Garnier Skin Natural Pure Active Intensive Exfobrusher Spot Fighter.

Happy Friday! Hope everyone is looking forward to a fabulous weekend. I got some amazing news today, after a ball ache of an application and a lot of tense waiting I have been accepted on to an MA in English Literature. I am so excited. I can't wait to get back to uni. The next year is going to be a lot of hard work but it's going to be so fun and so worth it! Anyway now that that's out of the way let's get to the very serious business of Friday I'm in Love shall we?

Rimmel London Wake Me Up Anti-fatigue Effect & Radiant Glow Concealer in the shade 040 Soft Beige

This week my skin has been going through a rebellious phase, and by that I mean it's been nothing short of disgusting. I'm talking about one of the worst breakouts my face has experienced in a long time. And despite the near constant cleansing and exfoliating my skin only seems to be getting worse and worse. It's definitely a stress thing. Anyway this gives excellent coverage and really brightens up the sad, grey baggy area under my eyes.

Soap & Glory Blush Brick in Love at First Blush

I finally plucked up the courage to use this and despite the initial fear that I was going to ruin something so beautiful, I was so impressed. Whilst usually I'm not a fan of shimmer blushes this is beautiful. The colour is lovely, pearly and leaves my (admittedly chubby) cheeks with a pretty rosy glow.

Barry M Gelly Hi-Shine Nail Paint in Chili

I bought this today and it is gorgeous. A new release from Barry M as part of their Autumn drop the colours just scream autumn. Chili is my favourite and is a lovely orange toned red that is literally the colour of autumn leaves. I also picked up the colour Chai which is a smokey grey, the colours are beautiful and I will be adding more to my collection soon. Not that it needs it.

Neutrogena Visibly Clear Blackhead Eliminating Daily Scrub

Blackheads are the bane of my existence and sadly my skin is prone to the buggers. I bought this earlier in the week in a moment of desperation -I cannot stress how awful my skin is looking at the moment!- and it is marvellous. Whilst I wasn't expecting dramatic improvement it did definitely reduce the appearance of pores and made my skin feel really clean and fresh.

Garnier Skin Natural Pure Active Intensive Exfobrusher Spot Fighter

Another skin care product -it's bad guys!- that I've been trying out this week. I bought this because honestly it looked like it might be fun to use. The exfoliating nib is really soft but left my skin feeling fabulous and deep cleaned. I have used this everyday for the past week and whilst it doesn't do much for existing spots I think it's definitely prevented more break outs.

My SOTW this week is Not the Only One by Sam Smith

For me Sam Smith has been something of a slow burn. When he first came onto the scene I thought he was a bit... meh. I could appreciate he was talented but not my cup of tea. And then stay with me happened, and it blew my mind with it's awesomeness. Then he did it again with not the only one. The song is heartbreakingly beautiful. I've had it on repeat for the last 3 days and I haven't tired of it yet. Not only is the song wonderful the music video is equally so. Starring Dianna Agron and Chris Messina, two of my favourite people, it tells the story of a housewife in the 50's stuck in a marriage with a man she adores who is routinely cheating on her. It's wonderful. I love both it and the song.

So those were my loves for this week? What do you think? Agree? Disagree? What were your loves this week? Let me know on twitter using the hashtags #FridayIminLove #FIIL or by commenting below. If you do comment I do always reply, or try to anyway, so do check back. Also check me out on facebook, Bloglovin, instagram & pinterest for your daily fix of me.. if you need one that is.

I'll be playing catch up this weekend so keep an eye out for my August Favourites, Inside August's Birchbox and Inside My First Ever Glossy Box as they will be going up at some point. Until then...

Love love love xxx

Wednesday, 3 September 2014

2 Stars & A Wish #10

Wednesday, 3 September 2014

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L - R: Garnier Skin Naturals Micellar Cleansing Water, Bourjois So Laque Glossy in 04 Amande Defille & The Body Shop Deep Sleep Dreamy Pillow & Body Mist

Happy Wednesday! It’s been a while since my last 2 Stars & A Wish (read it here) but after a nice little break it's ready for a comeback. So without further ado let's talk stars and wishes.

My First Star this week goes to Garnier's Micellar Water

Garnier Skin Naturals Micellar Cleansing Water

So recently there has been something of a buzz surrounding Micellar Cleansing Water and I knew about it in the same way I know about The Kardasians, I'm aware that they're there without knowing much about them. Unlike The Kardashians I actually wanted to learn more about Micellar Water so when I saw this monster of a bottle in Asda for the bargain price of £3.33 I snapped it up. And it is well worth the hype. It has literally cut my make up removal time in half. Waterproof mascara trembles in the face of this make up removal heavy weight. Best of all a 400ml bottle has up to 200 uses. It's awesome.

The Body Shop Deep Sleep Dreamy Pillow & Body Mist

I've had this for a long time and I used to use it religiously but for the last year it's been in the back of my dressing table until I came across it last week. I bought this because I'm not the best sleeper, I don't turn off and it can take me hours to drift off but this really helps. Containing jujube date extract, camomile and traces of lavender this sleep spray smells lovely and is so soothing. It just eases me into sleep. I. Love. It.

Bourjois So Laque Glossy in 04 Amande Defille

We won’t talk about the colour because as you can see it’s lovely. It’s the prettiest spring green that makes me happy just by being near it. So why is it a wish then? Because the formula is honestly the worst nail varnish formula I have ever come across! It is watery, needing 4 or even 5 coats to be opaque and goes on streaky. Without a top coat it lasts only hours before chipping. It's so disappointing. As a brand I find Bourjois to be quite hit and miss, (hits include Rouge Edition Velvet, Healthy Mix Serum & Cream Blush) this is definitely a miss.

So those were my Stars & Wish for the week. What do you think? Agree? Disagree? Let me know on twitter or by commenting below, if you comment I do always reply so do check back. Also me check out on facebook, BlogLovin, pinterest & instagram.

I'll be back on Friday with this weeks Friday I'm in Love until then

Love love love xx

Lauren with the Red Hair

Fabulous Fuschias

Friday I'm in Love #11

Inside August's Birchbox

2 Stars... #11

Friday I'm in Love #10

2 Stars & A Wish #10

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