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

May Favourites 2016

May Favourites 2016

Tuesday, 7 June 2016

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Another month has flown by, it's actually getting scary now how quickly time goes. But hey ho! Can't change it! So instead of moaning about it, like I always do, let's talk about the very many favourites I've had over the last 4 weeks instead. (Side note: this one's gonna get long and rambly so you may wanna grab yourself a drink and some snacks)

Primark PS Love Lip Liners - £1 each from Primark

For me lip liner is one of those meh products, I appreciate that sometimes they're necessary when rocking a bold lip, to keep it on your lips longer, but I'm not a massive fan of forking out loads on them. On my list of make up priorities lip liner doesn't really feature. Having said that, when I spotted these in Primark I thought they'd be worth a try. They were. They are so good. They have excellent pigmentation, a decent colour pay off and last really well on the lips. They also give my lipstick some serious staying power. The one negative I have is that the pink one did start balling up on my lips after a while, I haven't noticed this with either of the others though, so it could've just been a dodgy formula. They're still ridiculously good for the price point. Well done Primark! Well done!

Mario Badescu Drying Lotion - £12.50 from Beautybay

Another skin care fave, a lot of my favourites this month are skincare, and this stuff is seriously incredible. I first heard Allana Davison raving about this in her April Favourites video (watch it here) and I just had to see if it was good as she said it was. It is. It's an overnight spot treatment that actually works! For someone who has been seduced, and later disappointed, by nearly every miracle spot cream going, this is a revelation. It's formulated from calamine lotion, salicylic acid and zinc oxide, ingredients known for their skin clearing properties, and has two layers. You dip a cotton bud into both layers and dab it directly on to any spots. Initially it does sting a bit, but it wears off after about 30 seconds. Now it doesn't magically rid my face of all spots, I'm starting to think nothing can do that, but it does significantly reduce the appearance of blemishes, and dries down any particularly juicy spots. I've been using it loads and my skin is looking so much better for it. I love it so much.

Soap & Glory One Heck of a Blot All Day Liquid-To-Powder Foundation - £12 from Boots

I've had this for about a week but I love it so much that it had to be a favourite. The One Heck of a Blot range is aimed at oily skin, which I don't have. Despite being prone to break outs and spots, my skin is actually quite sensitive and tends towards the drier side of things. I bought this purely to test it out for an upcoming blog post, I wasn't expecting it to do much for me, but I was oh so wrong. It has a beautiful finish, it's mattifying but not in a blocky, solid kinda way. It looks very fresh on the skin. It gives excellent coverage, but isn't heavy or cakey like a lot of high coverage foundations tend to be, and it really sticks around. I like to stipple it on with the Real Techniques Stippling Brush and then blend it in with a damp Beauty Blender, to really press it in to the skin for a flawless base. I love it, I think it's a great foundation.

Mario Badescu Facial Spray with Aloe, Herbs & Rose Water - £12 from Liberty

I recently raved about this in a Weekly Round Up post (read it here) and it all still stands. It's such a nifty little spray. First of all it smells incredible! Normally I avoid rose scents like the plague, but this smells really fresh and doesn't have that sickly, headiness that most rose scents have. More importantly it makes my skin feel amazing. It really hydrates and refreshes the skin and makes me look all fresh and dewy. Win! I like to use it first thing in the morning to wake my skin and then to set my make up. It's awesome. 

Malin & Goetz Vitamin E Face Moisturiser - £37 from SpaceNK

I got this in a latest in beauty box back in April and I've been using it ever since. It's just a really nice moisturiser, that agrees with my uber sensitive skin. It contains Vitamin E to fight signs of ageing and replenish the skin and fatty acids so that it absorbs quickly. It leaves my skin feeling soft and really well hydrated. My skin loves the stuff and laps it up. It's also a great base for make up because of it's non-greasy texture.

Oskia Renaissance Cleansing Gel - £29.50 from Cult Beauty

After getting this in Anna and Lily's Cult Beauty Box (read more about here) I haven't been able to stop using it. It is the best cleanser I've ever come across. It's a really thick, rose scented gel that breaks down into an oil when worked into the skin. It gets rid of even the most waterproof of mascaras in seconds and leaves my skin feeling refreshed and squeaky clean. My skin has improved dramatically since I started using it. I can't even tell you how much I love it, but it's a lot. 

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

Another gem from Anna & Lily's Cult Beauty Box, this stuff is incredible. It's formulated with blue tansy, the source of it's funky blue colour, Vitamin A and retinol to fight off signs of ageing, reduce the appearance of pores and protect from environmental factors. I've been massaging 1 - 2 into my face once a week to give my skin some much needed pampering. It feels so luxurious and makes my skin look and feel amazing the next morning. It is magical. Magical! 

Urban Decay Alice in Wonderland Palette £43 from Urban Decay, completely sold out online, but may be available in store, find your nearest store here

This is a bit of a departure from my beloved neutral palettes but that's because it's just about the most beautiful palette to ever exist. Ever.  I put up a full review last week (read it here) so I won't bore you with the details, let me just say that the packaging is a work of art! That pop up butterfly though! The eyeshadows themselves are lovely. They're pigmented, with a soft, smooth texture. They blend beautifully and the colours are amazing. My favourites are Kingdom, - a pink-y, taupe-y bronze shimmer, and Salazen Grum - a rusty red glitter. I like to use Kingdom all over the lid and blend Salazen Grum into the crease for a warm, bronze smokey eye. Beautiful.

Barry M Gelły Hi-Shine Nail Paint in Guava - £3.99 from Boots

You guys must know by know how much I love a blue nail polish, they're kinda my thing. You guys should also know that I love Barry M nail paints, they're fabulous. They haven't released a formula I don't like, but my favourites are the Gelly Hi-Shines. They leave a plumped, glossy finish and have great longevity. Guava is a bright, electric turquoise, and an old favourite, that I've been showing a lot of love lately. The formula is awesome, as I've said, and the colour is gorgeous. It doesn't really get much better than that. 

What were you loving in May? Any recommendations for me? 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

The Weekly Round Up #14:The Jungle Book, Stanley the Pug, MAC Palettes & Facial Mists

The Weekly Round Up #14:The Jungle Book, Stanley the Pug, MAC Palettes & Facial Mists

Sunday, 5 June 2016

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From top left: Hey, Warm Breeze, Gingersnap, Dark Brew, Dance in the Dark, Brule, Vanilla Extract, Honey Lust, Amber Lights, Saddle, Lemon Tart, Creative Copper, Butterfudge, Divine Decadence & Unwind. 

From top left: Honey Lust, Poppy Seed, Quarry, Antiqued, Embark, Noir, Haux, Star Violet and Sketch.

Hi Guys, it's been a long time since my last Weekly Round Up, but I have had a super busy week this week so I'm gonna tell you guys all about it. 

Monday was a Bank Holiday here in the UK, and the weather was rubbish, so my sister and I piled my niece and nephew into the car, and took them to see The Jungle Book at The Odeon in The Galleria in Hatfield. We had such a good time. I was so excited to see it and it really didn't disappoint. It was sweet, funny, heartwarming, stayed true to the original story but had some twists and turns thrown in, it even had me shedding a tear or two at the end. The special effects were incredible and the casting of Idris Elba and Christopher Walkern as Shere Khan and King Louie was a stroke of pure genius. My favourite part  was when King Louie sang I Wanna Be Like You, that song is a classic and it was really, really good. It's such good film, definitely go see it. Show times can be found here

If you guys follow me on instagram, you can here, you'll know that there's a new addition to my family. His name is Stanley, he's 12 weeks old , he's my sister Sian's new pug and isn't he the most gorgeous thing you've ever seen? I've been dog-sitting this weekend and we've had so much fun. He's so cute and happy and only a little bit of a menace. He can get under the sofa, because he's so small, and he loves hiding under there and slithering out like a snake, he also loves playing with an empty coke bottle, despite the fact that he has loads of toys. At the moment he's worn himself out, from playing, and is cuddled up on my lap, fast asleep. I'm not going to be happy when he goes home to his mumma. *Blog update: Stanley's just been picked up, I'm really sad and I miss him so much*

Lately I've been really loving eyeshadow palettes, I mean way more than usual, and MAC Warm Neutral Palette and MAC Burgundy Times Nine Palette are the newest additions to my collection. They are stunning. Both palettes are part of the Eyes on MAC collection and have become a fixture in MAC's permanent line up. The MAC Warm Neutral Palette is a stunning palette. Neutral palettes are my jam! You can never have too many, and this one is kinda my ideal palette. As the name would suggest, the shadows are all warm toned neutral shades, that run the gamut from dark and smokey to nude and peachy. I haven't used it yet, but will report back once I've tested it out, but so far so good. 

MAC Burgundy Times Nine Eyeshadow Palette is a teeny little palette, made up of 9 mini shadows. The shadows compliment each other beautifully and have a mix of different finishes. The palette has everything for dramatic evening eyes or more subtle daytime looks, and being so small and compact it is perfect for travelling.  The Warm Neutral Palette is £49.50 and the Burgundy Times Nine Palette is £25, and you can get them here and here. Full reviews and swatches will be coming up in the next couple of weeks so keep an eye out for that. 

So hydrating facial mists have become one of my favourite things recently and Mario Badescu's Facial Spray with Aloe, Herbs and Rosewater and Pixi's Hydrating Milky Mist are my favourites. They're so light and refreshing and give my skin a much needed boost of hydration. I use both pretty much throughout the day, whenever my skin is feeling tight and dry,but I tend to use the Mario Badescu in the morning before and after make up. It's very light, it smells incredible, makes my skin feel refreshed and sets my make up in place. I like to use the Pixi mist in the evening, as it feels a little bit heavier on the skin and really packs a punch in the moisture department. The Mario Badescu facial spray is £7.00 from Urban Outfitters and the Pixi mist is £18 and available at Cult Beauty

What have you been up to this week? 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