August Favourites 2016

August Favourites 2016

Sunday, 4 September 2016

Read post

This month I will not be freaking out that there are only 3 months left of 2016, what would be the point? I do the weird freak out thing every month, it's getting kind of old. Instead I'll tell you that August has been a really good month. I've been learning to play guitar, which I am loving! I saw my friends a lot, I went to Bulgaria, which was so fun and I've been going to the gym regularly, which, shockingly, I don't hate... I'm just as surprised as you are. It's been a really good month! On that note it's time to talk favourites. 

Nails Inc Gel Effect Polish in Soho Place - £14 from Nails Inc

This nail polish is an old favourite of mine, you guys know how much I love a good blue-y green polish, and like I said this is a firm favourite. I actually used it to paint my toes and tips with before I jetted off to Sunny Beach. The colour is gorgeous, a vivid aqua, and the formula is pretty lush too! Easily workable yet creamy and thick and the finish is dreamy - ultra glossy, plump and long lasting. It's marvellous. 

Pixi by Petra Hydrating Milky Mist - £18.00 from Cultbeauty

I ranted and raved about this stuff in my In Flight Beauty post so I won't bore you with the details for fear of repeating myself and boring you all to death. Instead I'm just gonna say that this super moisturising, light weight spritz is amazing, and an absolute life saver for those of us with drier complexions or to use when your travelling. I used it pretty much constantly on the flights, to and from Bulgaria, and the whole time while I was out there, and the difference it has made to my skin is amazing. I love this stuff, and I've nearly run out.... NOOOOOOO!

MAC Burgundy Times Nine Palette - £25.00 from MAC

Again I have sung the praises of this teeny little palette in previous posts (read them here, here & here) so I'll let you read those rather than bang on about it here. It's an excellent little palette for travelling because it is really tiny but has nine shadows in there, that really pack a punch in the pigment stakes, and is super versatile. I am obsessed with it and have been using it pretty much constantly. I love it so much.

The Wet Brush - £8.99 from lookfantastic

I got this in Anna & Lily's Cult Beauty box back in April and it's the only brush I've used on my mad, tangly hair since then, but I've never mentioned it on here, which isn't really like me. Anyway I love it. It has really flexible bristles that glide effortlessly through the hair, detangling any knots without pulling. Now I don't brush my hair everyday, because it's so curly that brushing only makes it frizz out uncontrollably. So I only brush before and after I wash it and that's it. It used to be an absolute nightmare brushing my hair, even with a Tangle Teezer or an Easy Tease (read more about that here), and I hated doing it because it really did hurt. The Wet Brush is so gentle yet effective, it has just solved all my hair brushing problems. I refuse to be without it, that's how much I love it!

Avon Advance Techniques 360 Nourishment Moroccan Argan Oil Leave-in Treatment -  £3.50 (on offer, usually £6.00) from Avon

This stuff is haircare heaven! If I was stranded on a desert island and could only have one hair care product this would be it! It's incredible! One pump, run through the mid lengths and ends, intensely nourishes and protects the hair (from heat, chlorine, etc.), calms frizz and adds definition to curls without weighing them down. It's non-greasy, very light weight and leaves no residue in the hair whatsoever. I used this every day on holiday to protect my hair, and it worked an absolute treat. No sun dried ends and chlorine damage for me! It does come in a glass bottle, which I agree isn't the best for travel, although I didn't have any problems with it. But seriously this stuff is magical! I would be lost without it and I'm not joking. 

La Roche Posay 50+ Antihelios XL Ultra-Light Fluid - £16.50 from Boots

There's nothing really knew in this month's favourites, pretty much all of them have been talked about before, including this one (read more about it here). I'm a recent convert to La Roche Posay's Antihelios XL sunscreen but it is amazing. It absorbs into the skin really quickly without leaving a white cast on the skin and gives my pasty skin the protection I need, from both UVA and UVB rays. And unlike a lot of sunscreens it's non-comedogenic, so it doesn't block the pores or cause break outs, which my skin will do at the slightest provocation. It's awesome stuff. 

Rimmel Kate Sculpting Palette in 002 Coral Glow - £6.99 from Boots

This is kind of a forgotten favourite because I have used it so much in the last couple of months but keep forgetting to put it in my favourites. I actually have this in both shades, 002 Coral Glow and 003 Golden Bronze, and I like and use both a lot, but I have used Coral Glow more this month because I took it on holiday with me (read more about that here). It's such a handy little palette as it comes with a blush, contour and highlight and, despite the fairly naff packaging, it is really, really good quality. The powders are creamy and smooth, they apply beautifully and they have really nice pigmentation. They're really lovely. 

Becca Backlight Priming Filter - £32 from SpaceNK

Again this is something I have talked about recently, (read it here) I feel like I'm a broken record today, just saying the same thing over and over again... I'm sorry. I have used this so much in the past couple of weeks, in fact I've nearly used it all up and will have to get a new one soon. It adds such a beautiful, beautiful radiance to the skin. I have fairly dull, pale skin but this gives me a glow that would put JLo to shame. It is stunning! And expensive, but worth it. 

Walk Off The Earth - watch them on youtube here

My bad ass friend Charlotte, who is actually teaching me to play guitar and is the coolest person I know,  introduced me to Walk Off The Earth during our first lesson, and I have been listening to them ever since. You may have come across WOTE before as quite a few of their videos have gone viral, they're the band who covered Gotye's Somebody that I Used to Know with all 5 members playing the same guitar! (Watch it here it's amazing!) Their videos are insane, they are so talented and so, so clever. I've downloaded a load of their songs but Gang of Rhythm and Hold On (The Break) are my favourites. I am also obsessed with their cover of Cheerleader! Watch some of their videos, you will not be sorry.

Working Out 

So this is a surprising favourite for all of us, especially me, but I am really, really enjoying working out. I've been working out everyday during the week and the sense of achievement it gives me is incredible. Do I still hate cardio? Absolutely, yes I do! BUT I can do it, which is amazing because up until recently I definitely couldn't. I'm feeling very proud of myself for that.

What are your August Favourites? 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

What's in My Travel Make Up Bag?

What's in My Travel Make Up Bag?

Saturday, 3 September 2016

Read post

l-r: Look Good Feel Better Blending Brush, Real Techniques Base Shadow Brush, RT Angled Highlighter Brush, RT Duo-Fibre Face Brush, RT Brow Brush, Unbranded Flat Eyeshadow Brush, Unbranded Concealer Brush, RT Stippling Brush & RT Multi

When it comes to packing make up I am a maximalist, more is more! In my mind it's better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it - having said that even I was shocked when I realised I took 10 make up brushes, plus a beauty blender away with me! - Anyway it turns out I didn't really need it, because I ended up wearing make up maybe twice in the week I was away. Other than suncream, I use the La Roche Posay 50 +Antihelios XL just fyi, I really didn't put much on my face. Even though I didn't use it very much I still thought you guys might like a peek inside my travel make up bag.

Becca Backlight Priming Filter - £32 from Space NK

I'm really glad I took this away with me because I ended up using it the most out of everything, to make the most of my *ahem* tan. I've found that the best way to apply it is by dotting it on to the skin and then blending out with a beauty blender. It gives some serious glow! It adds a really beautiful luminescence to the skin without highlighting pores and imperfections. Some days I even wore this as my base with just a bit of concealer and it worked really well. I have a new found appreciation for this stuff. It's gorgeous.

Bourjois 123 Perfect CC Cream in Ivory - £9.99 from Boots

I actually took two foundations with me, this and Maybelline's Fit Me Matte and Poreless Foundation but I really didn't need to, as the CC Cream was more than enough, and I barely touched the stuff anyway. I'll go ahead and say that Bourjois's 123 Perfect CC Cream is the ideal foundation to take away with you, especially if you're off to sunnier climes, as the coverage is there but it is very light weight. It doesn't feel heavy or thick on the skin at all and applies beautifully, plus it's packaged in a plastic squeezy tube making it very travel friendly. To be honest all the same things could be said about the Maybelline foundation but I used the CC Cream more.

Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer in Fair & Maybelline Fit Me Concealer in 10 Fair - £4.19/£5.99 from Boots here and here

I like to use the Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer to cover my under eye baggage, as it is such a light shade and really brightens the whole under eye area. You do have to be careful though because it has a really creamy formula so does tend to crease if not set with powder. It's very covering and stopped me looking completely knackered on the days that I could be bothered to apply it. I took the Maybelline Fit Me Concealer as a more of a multipurpose concealer, as it has good coverage but is not as heavy as the Collection one. I used this all over my face to cover any blemishes or redness and it works a treat.

Maybelline Lash Sensational Lash Multiplying Mascara - £7.99 from Boots

I've been using this mascara, pretty much constantly, over the past year and I have reached the conclusion that it's my favourite mascara ever. So when I was packing my make up bag this was the first thing to go in. The curved rubber brush gives me really long, defined, voluminous lashes, the formula is a true black and isn't a total bitch to remove and, in my opinion, it's pretty much perfect.

MAC Burgundy Times Nine Eyeshadow Palette - £25 from MAC

This tiny little gem of a palette is incredible. It is so travel friendly because it's so tiny, but contains a whopping nine mini eyeshadows. The shadows themselves are pigmented, as soft as butter and blend beautifully. It's also amazingly versatile, with everything from deep plum shades to mauve toned neutrals and even a pale gold-y peach. I mostly just used Honey Lust - the peachy gold - as a wash of colour all over the lid, just to give my lids a little somethin' somethin', but it has everything you need for a burgundy smokey eye. It's lovely. 

Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvet in Hot Pepper - £8.99 from Boots 

For bold lips there is nothing better, high end or high street, than Bourjois's Rouge Edition Velvet Liquid Lipsticks. I won't bore with you the details because I have so many times before. Hot Pepper is my go to red for an evening out because it stays in place for hours, the formula is bouncy and gel like so is super comfortable to wear and it has incredible pigmentation. They even stay in place when eating or drinking. I didn't wear it once while I was away but it is still one of my absolute favourite liquid lips. I have nearly the whole collection, but Hot Pepper is a firm favourite. 

L'Oréal Privee Color Riche Lipstick in Julianne's Nude - £6.99 from Superdrug

Again this is another old favourite of mine and I have gone on and on about it's pinky, rosy nude awesomeness more times than I could shake a stick at it. But it is amazing, so I'll just bore you with the deats one more time. It is the most amazing, effortless nude lipstick, and even though I hate the phrase your lips but better that is the best way to describe it. It smells amazing and it's incredibly moisturising, this does mean that it does need to be reapplied a few times throughout the course of the day but nothing major. I really love it and I wore it loads on holiday.

Still Stay All Day Waterproof Liquid Eyeliner - £13.00 from Boots

I really don't know why I took this on holiday, because I didn't use it once. No one wants to faff around trying to get their wings even when it's so hot outside now do they? Having said that this is my absolute favourite liquid liner, and if I had chose to rock some feline flicks by the pool then this would have more than held up to the challenge. It's very pigmented, it's waterproof and stays in place for hours, it isn't a nightmare to remove and the nib is impossibly fine, giving really clean and precise application. I love it, I just didn't use it.

Primark PS Kohl Eyeliner Pencil in Black - £1.00 from Primark

A black pencil eyeliner for me is a make up bag staple, I like to use it to tightline and fill in my waterline when I'm wearing smokey eyes or winged liner, and Primark's eyeliner pencils are surprisingly good quality for such a low price point. It's not waxy but blends nicely, is well pigmented and stays in place a decent amount of time. But once again this is not something I used while I was away. It was way too hot for eyeliner.

Anastasia Beverly Hills Dipbrow Pomade in Medium Brown - £15.00 from Cultbeauty

There was no way that I would be going on holiday without my eyebrows. Although to be honest I probably could've got by without it because I'm quite lucky with my eyebrows, they're a decent shape but are quite sparse in places. Anastasia's Dipbrow is my favourite brow product as it is so easy to use. Even I can shape and fill in my brows without any problems. It's great.

Rimmel Kate Sculpting Palette in 002 Coral Glow -£6.99 from Boots

Rimmel's Sculpting Palette contains a contour, blush and highlighter, making it another nifty little palette that's perfect for travelling. The powders are soft, finely milled, well pigmented and creamy in texture. It has a really nice shade range that is ideal for sun bronzed skin, which sadly I don't have, luckily it works really well for us pasty peeps too! The contour is quite a pale honey tone that doubles as a bronzer, the blush is a matte coral that looks super pretty on and the highlighter is a light chamgagne-y colour that leaves a subtle shimmer on the cheekbones. Overall I am a big fan of this palette. It's really nice.

Beauty Blender - £16.00 from Beautybay

My love affair with this insanely awesome make up sponge continues. I use this for everything! To apply my foundation and concealer, to sheer out anything that looks cake-y, to blend in my blusher and contour. It's awesome and it is multi-use, which makes the £16 price tag a little bit easier to bear. The two times I did wear make up this was what I used to apply it, making the 10 (!) make up brushes I packed basically useless.

I'm not gonna go into too much detail with the make up brushes, otherwise you'll be here all night. I took the Look Good Feel Better Blending Brush, the Real Techniques Base Shadow Brush, the RT Angled Highlighter Brush, the RT Duo-Fibre Face Brush, the RT Brow Brush, an unbranded Flat Eyeshadow Brush, an unbranded Concealer Brush, the RT Stippling Brush & the RT Multi-Task Brush... phew that's a lot of Real Techniques brushes! I didn't use them very much at all. I do tend to apply the majority of my make up with these brushes and then blend it into the skin with the beauty blender because I find that that's what works best for me.

That was everything I took away with me, and so much of it was unnecessary... oh well.

What make up do you take away with you? 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

Anna & Lily's Cult Beauty Box

Anna & Lily's Cult Beauty Box

Sunday, 29 May 2016

Read post

When Anna and Lily announced their collaboration with Cult Beauty I was excited, like really excited. I've been a fan of theirs for a couple of years now, they were the first youtubers I really fangirled over, and I couldn't wait to get my hands on a box. Anna and Lily personally picked the products to go inside and even had a hand in the design of the box, which explains the marble and gold.  So, to answer the question on everyone's lips, what's in the box?! 

The Wet Brush I was a bit dubious when it came to The Wet Brush. It takes a very special brush to get through my tangled curls without bringing a tear to my eye, cramp to my hand and the thought that dreadlocks are a great idea. This, ladies and gentlemen, is that very special brush. It glides through  my knotty hair, without pulling at all, it's so gentle and is the only brush I've come across that actually manages to tame my mad mane of curls. It's so good, I'm gonna get one for my 5 year old niece, who has been cursed with my hair, poor thing. 

Stila Stay All Day Waterproof Liquid Eyeliner in Black Liquid eyeliner is a make up bag essential. Personally I think there's nothing better than a really good liquid eyeliner and Stila's waterproof offering is awesome. It really does stay in place all day. It has a long, impossibly thin, firm brush that makes for really easy application and is perfect for creating anything from dramatic feline flicks to more subtle looks. I'm so impressed with it. 

Yu Ling Jade Facial Roller This one came as a bit of a shock to me, because I like it so much more than I was expecting too. The roller is made of pure jade, and is very cooling on the skin, especially if it's kept in the fridge, AND it has a laundry list of skincare benefits when used regularly, just some of which are: firming/plumping the skin, toning muscle, increasing blood flow, reducing the appearance of wrinkles and decreasing puffiness/bloating. Apparently it can even be used to soothe sore hay fever eyes - which I get ALL the time - ease migraines and tension headaches, plus it feels AMAZING on the skin. 

Becca Backlight Priming Filter This is one of the travel sizes, and is adorable, who doesn't love travel minis?! I've used this a few times and boy does it pack a punch in the glow department. It has a really nice and light, non-greasy texture, it's absorbed really quickly into the skin leaving a lit from within glow. I've used this a few times and I really love the finish of it. I think a purchase of the full size might be in order...

Sunday Riley Luna Oil This was my favourite thing in the box, the cutest half size miniature of Sunday Riley's Luna Oil, a product so awesome that it's reached the dizzying heights of cult status since its release. I'd been dying to try this for ages, but at an eye watering £85 I just couldn't justify it. Now that I've tried it, I'm smitten! - and dreading the day when I run out of the stuff! £85... ouch! - Luna is a blue tinted Vitamin A night time treatment with retinol and blue tansy. It claims to fight signs of ageing, repair damaged skin, reduce the size/appearance of pores and protect the skin from environmental factors. It feels incredible when massaged into the skin, is so hydrating and the fact that it's blue, my favourite colour, is awesome!  I've been using it every other night and have definitely noticed an improvement in the condition of my skin. The one thing I don't like is the scent, it smells like porridge and lavender, which is a weird combination, but other than that I really, really love it! Damn! 

Oskia Renaissance Cleansing Gel So I may have jumped the gun a bit when I said Luna was my favourite thing in the box, because I bloody love this! I'd heard a ton of good things about Oskia's Renaissance Cleansing Gel, mostly from Anna and Lily, but I can totally see what all the fuss is about. It's amazing! It's a pale pink gel-to-oil cleanser with a light, refreshing rosy scent to it. When the gel is applied it breaks down in to an oil that just melts into the skin, removing make up and dirt really quickly and gently, leaving my skin feeling clean, soft and radiant looking. It's suitable for all skin types but claims to be really good for dry, sensitive and damaged skin. It also helps to reduce the appearance of acne, scarring and pigmentation, due to pumpkin enzymes and MSM that calm and soothe inflamed skin. Personally I love it. It's been my go to cleanser and my skin is really thanking me for it. 

Pixi by Petra Hydrating Mist Another favourite, after spotting this in the box I've been using it pretty much everyday and always have it in my bag.  Pixi's skincare has been creating a bit of a splash in the beauty world lately, and if this facial mist is anything to go by, I can totally see why. This stuff is really, really good. It offers a fine, feather light layer of moisture that gives my skin a much needed burst of hydration. It can be used in place of a toner and feels really refreshing and cooling on the skin. It's such a lovely little product. Love it. 

I have to say that I was so impressed with the contents of this box, I've got a bit of a love/hate relationship with beauty boxes,  I think everyone does, normally I'll only like one or two products in the box and that's it, but this is so not the case with Anna & Lily's one. I genuinely loved everything in there, especially all the lovely skincare bits. 

The box retails for £85, now initially the price really put me off, £85 is a LOT of money. BUT when you consider the quality of the box, and the fact that you save a staggering 43%, it's actually amazing value for money. Unfortunately the waitlist is now closed and the boxes are no longer available to buy. But you can register on the Cult Beauty website here to be in with the chance of winning 1 of 5 boxes. I definitely would if I were you. 

Did you manage to get your hands on Anna & Lily's Cult Beauty Box yet? 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