My 3 Beauty B's

My 3 Beauty B's

Thursday, 22 October 2015

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Okay so you may have clicked through to this post wondering what on earth I am talking about when I say my 3 Beauty B's but stick with me here. You might have noticed that I have a particular affinity for 3 things: Bronze eyes, Berry lips & Blue nails. My 3 B's!

Maybelline Eye Studio Color Tattoo 24 HR in On and On Bronze  - £4.99 from Boots

There are two things that Maybelline really got right, the Lash Sensational Mascara and the formula of this A-MAY-ZING cream eyeshadow. A cult favourite amongst beauty bloggers, and for good reason, On and On Bronze is a stunning taupe-y bronze, my favourite kind of bronze, with just the right amount of shimmer and some seriously impressive lasting power. I like to use this on it's own smudged onto the lid and blended into the crease with my fingertip for a simple everyday eye, or as a base for other eyeshadows. Either way it is awesome.


MAC Eyeshadow in Woodwinked - £10.00 for the pan, £13.00 for the pot from MAC

This beaut is one of the first ever MAC products I bought, 3 years ago in the MAC store in Times Square, and it's still one of my absolute favourites. Woodwinked is a rich, warm-toned, bronze-y gold that looks stunning simply washed over the lid or packed on for a super dramatic smokey eye. It's gorgeous; pigmented, buttery soft and super long lasting. Woodwinked is a MAC classic for a reason guys!

Rimmel Scandaleyes Shadow Stick in Bluffing - £4.99 from Boots

Bluffing is one of absolute favourite cream shadows. A silvery, taupe-y bronze with a soft, creamy, easy to blend formula, that once it sets, does not budge for hours. It is my go to on busy mornings, because it makes for one of the simplest, but prettiest, subtle, smokey eye looks around or it can be built up for something a bit more intense, but seriously ain't nobody got time for that. For me I like it best when just swiped across the lid and then blended into the crease. Quick, simple and easy. Love it.

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

So this is a relatively new addition to my berry lipstick collection but already a firm favourite. It is a stunning, blue-toned, berry red with a velvety matte finish. Whilst it is beautiful I have noticed that you need to do a bit of prep for this lipstick to be at it's finest, as it does slightly dry the lips and has a (again, very slight) tendency to cling to dry patches, however it is totally worth it because the colour is stunning and it lasts hours. You can eat, drink, whatever and this lipstick will still be there.

Rimmel Lasting Finish Matte Lipstick by Kate Moss in #107 - £5.49 from Boots

#107 is one of my all time favourite drug store lipsticks. It is a beautiful deep, rich berry shade that exudes effortless glamour and sophistication whilst being universally flattering and incredibly wearable, what's not to love? (Side note: I've only just noticed how incredibly similar this is to MAC's D for Danger, I say similar they're actually indistinguishable from each other! Dupe Alert!)

Maybelline Color Drama Velvet Lip Pencil in Berry Much - £4.99 from Boots

This was probably my most worn lipstick of last year because it is seriously amazing. As far as berry shades go this tends towards the darker side of things. An almost purple shade, Berry Much is the darkest of the three but it is so easy to wear. The formula is incredible, and it is ridiculously easy to apply. It goes onto the lips flawlessly, has a beautiful velvet-y finish and lasts hours. Winner!


Essie in Strut Your Stuff - £4.39 from Amazon

Strut Your Stuff has been on my nail polish list (yes, I have a nail polish list. Surprised?) for a long old time. So when I spotted it on the shelves of T.K. Max I snapped it up. It is an absolutely beautiful shade of cobalt blue that just makes me happy whenever I look at it,  although I do say that about every blue polish :S. The formula is really nice, easily workable however it doesn't have the greatest wear time, it's okay... not the best but not bad, does tend to stain the nails. Even so the colour is stunning.

Barry M Gelly Hi Shine in Damson - £3.99 from Boots

Another bright blue stunner. Damson falls somewhere inbetween a deep sky blue and a really rich royal blue. Whenever I wear it I get complements and the formula of the Barry M Gelly Hi-Shines is marvellous. I won't bore you with the details because I talk about them so much but they're awesome, and Damson is beautiful. 'Nuff said.

Nails Inc Gel Effect in Regents Place - £15.00 from Nails Inc

Oh this beauty of a nail polish is one of my absolute favourites. A stunner of a cornflower blue/lilac that is perfect for summer due to it's pastel prettiness. Even though it's no longer seasonally appropriate, it is still gorgeous with a fabulous formula and really good wear time. Lovely.

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

Love love love xxx

Pay Day Beauty Hauling #4: The T.K. Maxx Edition

Pay Day Beauty Hauling #4: The T.K. Maxx Edition

Tuesday, 20 October 2015

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Those of you who follow me on twitter and instagram will know that I've been seriously loving the beauty aisles at T.K. Maxx (or T.J. Maxx in the US) lately. There are 2 very simple reasons for this: 1. It's awesome. 2. It's one of the best place to get genuine high end make up for bargain prices. Seriously what's not to love?! Having said that, the best thing about T.K. Maxx is also the worst thing about T.K. Maxx, it's a double edged sword guys! Yes, you can find some seriously amazing stuff in there for really cheap BUT the stock isn't standardised, it's for this reason that I haven't been able to link anything up. Sorry. Anyway here's what I've been hauling. 

Notebook - £4.99 from T.K. Maxx

Now I am a girl who loves her stationery, particularly pretty stationery, specifically notebooks. There's just something about a brand new notebook. So when I saw this ridiculously pretty, and inspiring, notebook how could I resist?! The gold against lilac is gorgeous, and I love the message on the front, it's so cute! I can't wait to scribble down all my blog ideas in it. In my very best handwriting, of course.

Essie Spring Collection - £7.00

Essie The Lace is On & Strut Your Stuff - £3.99 all from T.K. Maxx

I've been having a bit of a moment with Essie lately, I've since added Truth or Flare to my growing collection, and it started with this year's Spring Collection which is gorgeous AND cost a bargainous £7! The Spring Collection is so pretty, with four 5 ml pastel polishes. Flowerista - A gorgeous purple-y pink, Blossom Dandy - A muted, but lovely, mint green that is right in my mint nail polish loving wheelhouse, Petal Pushers - A blue-y grey that is both incredibly chic and incredibly pretty and Perennial Chic - A peachy nude that, honestly, is not really my thing, but I can still appreciate it's prettiness. I also picked up The Lace is On - Another purple-y pink, this one a metallic with a very subtle sheen of gold glitter running through it. It is so pretty and so festive, perfect for this time of year. The last polish I picked up was Strut Your Stuff, which has been on my Nail Polish list (yep, I have a Nail Polish list, are you really surprised?) for ages. So when I saw it in T.K. Maxx, for half it's normal price, well obviously I had to have it. My blue nail polish obsession is well documented, and this is a welcome addition to my army of blue polishes. It's a beautiful turquoise that makes me smiley all over my face. Essie's formulation is generally good, with reasonable wear time and an average of 2 coats to achieve opacity. Lovely. 

Dermactin-TS Intensive Skin Care Intense Acne Treatment Pore Refining Facial Sheet Masks - £4.99 for 4 from T.K. Maxx

I have real issues with my skin. Blackheads are my biggest problem, it seems that everytime I get rid of one, ten really angry blackheads arrive to avenge it. It's a constant, and fruitless, battle and I am losing. So when I saw these sheet masks I figured at the very least they were worth a try. I'd never tried sheet masks before and I thought it was amazing, but also really weird. This mask promises to 'penetrate deeply' (that seems unnecessarily sexual, but it's what it says on the packaging), to unclog and clear the pores of dirt and oil, to prevent new blemishes and blackheads forming. It also moisturises and rejuvenates the skin. I actually really liked the mask, although it was really difficult to a) put it on and b) keep it on.  

Also there is literally no escaping the fact that you look like Hannibal Lecter when wearing it. Embrace it, because it is hilarious. Despite all that I could see a noticeable improvement in the condition of my skin after just one use. 

Nuxe Crème Prodigieuse Enrichie Anti-Fatigue Moisturising Cream for Dry Skin - £6.99 from T.K. Maxx

I am so in love with Nuxe, it's one of my absolute favourite skin care brands and for good reason. The lip balm is fabled for it's sheer amazingness amongst the beauty community. Personally I am a huge fan of their Masque Crème Fraîche de Beauté because it's incredible. The only teeny tiny, but still somewhat fatal, flaw is that it's not exactly the cheapest of beasts; so finding this day cream for just £6.99, when it usually retails for £21, actually made my day. It has quickly become my favourite moisturiser. It is so rich and hydrating and smells beautiful. My mum is also a fan because she keeps 'borrowing' it and if she carries on then there will be blood. Seriously though it is amazing. My skin has been particularly dry lately and this has just made it so much better. Expect a full review soon, if I have any left that is...

The Balm: The Balm Voyage Pallette Vol II - £19.99 from T.K. Maxx

And finally the last product in this never ending haul. This I actually got a few weeks back but it was such a great find that I just had to include it. This pallet is awesome! Not only does it have everything, from lip tints to eyeshadows, all of which are incredibly wearable, but the formulations are amazing! Smooth, buttery soft and almost creamy in texture, whilst also being highly pigmented and easily blendable. It is such a handy pallet for travelling because the packaging is very light and compact and also plays host to a decent sized mirror. I'm so glad I found it. 

So that was longer, and ramblier, than usual but thanks for sticking around 'til the end. I definitely recommend checking out the beauty aisle of T.K. Maxx for any beauty lovers, I always find such good stuff in mine. What have you guys been hauling lately? Let me know on twitter, by commenting below or dropping me an email at lolarocknroses@gmail.com. Also check out my instagram, facebook, bloglovin', snapchat - search lolarocknroses - & pinterest for updates.

Love love love xxx

The Blues

The Blues

Tuesday, 21 April 2015

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L-R: Soigné in Vodka Bleu, Maybelline Forever Strong Super Stay Seven Day in Uptown Blue, Essie in Avenue Maintain, Nails Inc in  Kensington Park Road  & Barry M Gelly Hi-Shine in Blueberry.

If you were to rifle through my, quite frankly ridiculous, nail polish collection (300 and counting) you would probably notice that the majority of shades are blue. There's just something about a blue polish that I just can't resist. So I thought I'd share my faves. My 5 Shades of Blue if you will.

Soigné in Vodka Bleu - Vodka Bleu is a really rich dark turquoise-y blue with a seriously awesome formula. It's super pigmented, opaque in just one coat and ridiculously long lasting. Wild horses can't drag this bad boy away! It has an awesome brush, it applies absolutely effortlessly and just looks so gorgeous on the nails.  Love it. 

Maybelline Forever Strong Super Stay Seven Day in Uptown Blue - I haven't had this that long but it has fast become one of my fave light blues. Spring means pastels and this lovely polish more than fits the bill. It is such a pretty sky blue with an almost fluorescent quality to it that really pops. It would look amazing against tanned skin (unfortunately I'll never know being paler than the moon and all.) Not only is the colour pretty special but the formula's awesome too, for  a colour this light I would expect at least 3 coats for it to be opaque but it's really thick and creamy and only took 2. Winner.

Essie in Avenue Maintain - This is one of the first Essie polishes I ever bought and to this day it remains one of my favourites. The colour is super pretty, just a lovely sky blue that is perfect for springtime. I super love it. 

Nails Inc in  Kensington Park Road -  This is one of my most used nail polishes ever! Seriously you can actually see a line from where I've used it so much and with so many nail polishes that just doesn't happen very often. It is a really beautiful neon blue that demands attention, you can't not look at it. It's so pretty but bad ass at the same time. I love it so much. It is all the hearteyed emojis!

Barry M Gelly Hi-Shine in Blueberry - This is the most gorgeous lilac toned cornflower blue, like Uptown Blue it has a neon quality that really stands out. The Barry M Gelly Hi-Shine's have a fabulous formula: opaque in 2 coats, reasonably long lasting with a shiny gel like finish - hence the name - and they're cheap as chips.  Lovely. 

What are your favourite nail polishes? Let me know on twitter, by commenting below or dropping me an email at lolarocknroses@gmail.com. Also,f you have a minute check me out on instagram, bloglovin, facebook & pinterest.

Love love love xxx