October & November Beauty Favourites 2016

October & November Beauty Favourites 2016

Thursday, 8 December 2016

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The last couple of weeks have seen me completely lose all motivation for anything other than snuggling up under a duvet and watching I'm a Celebrity. It's the time of year, November always makes me want to take to my bed and stay there until April, only briefly emerging for Christmas. So it's safe to say blogging has definitely not been a priority, anything that hasn't been finding food/tea and wearing my comfies hasn't been a priority. But I have managed to get some motivation to share my Favourites for the last couple of months with you. Now I didn't have a lot of favourites back in October and I didn't have a lot of beauty favourites in November either, so it just made sense to combine them.

July Favourites 2016

July Favourites 2016

Thursday, 4 August 2016

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July has just flown by in a blur of sunshine, barbecues, birthdays, - my nephew's, my sister's, my younger step-sister's, my sister in law's, my older step-sister's and my brother's! So many! - and no make up days, because really who wants to wear make up when they're all hot and sweaty?! Not me. Because I've been avoiding make up on sunny days this month's favourites post is gonna be quite short and sweet. So let's get to it. 

OPI Fearlessly Alice - £9.50 from BeautyBay

I can never resist a blue nail polish, especially when it is this pretty! Fearlessly Alice is part of OPI's Alice Through the Looking Glass collection, and is basically everything I love wrapped up in one single perfect nail polish. Seriously! I love Alice in Wonderland, I love blue nail polish, I adore OPI and the word Fearless is also significant to me - read my Fearless posts here, here & here - it's like it was made just for me! Fearlessly Alice is a bright, beautiful, cerulean blue that has been gracing my toes and tips ever since I bought it. It's a creme paint that applies smoothly, gives decent coverage and has a high-gloss finish. The wear time is not great, but I've found that this is quite common with OPI nail polishes so I'm not too fussed about that.

Carmex Snoopy Edition Classic Lip Balm - £1.99 from Superdrug

I've had really dry lips for the past couple of weeks and nothing was working, not even Blistex's Relief Cream, which is usually my go to for when my lips are sore. Now I'll be honest I was totally drawn in by the ridiculously cute Snoopy packaging, because it's Snoopy and it's adorable!, and wasn't actually expecting it to make any difference. I was wrong. Normally I'm not a fan of petroleum based lip balms but this really does lock in a lot moisture, and is formulated to heal and soothe chapped lips almost instantly as it is so fast-acting. I wasn't expecting to love it, but I really do.

Sleek Solstice Highlighting Palette - £9.99 from Boots

I raved about this last week in a Sleek Haul post (read it here), so I won't go into too much detail here for fear of repeating myself and boring you all. This is one of the prettiest palettes I own, it's so beautiful! Solstice is made up of four highlighting shades: a cream, two shimmer powders and a baked powder, it's a really versatile little palette, with everything for a subtle shimmer to a more dramatic highlight. I've been using it so much, because it really is gorgeous but also super wearable. I was initially really intimidated by Hemisphere, which is a frosty lilac, but it blends out beautifully into a silvery white. I particularly love Ecliptic, which is the cream finish, as it is a stunning champagne colour that adds a subtle radiance to the skin that is still noticeable but not too in your face. If you're into highlighters in a big way then you need this palette!

Nivea Men Sensitive Cooling Post-Shave Balm - £5.35 from Boots

Again I've raved about this in a previous post (read it here) so I won't bore you with the details. I've been using this everyday as a primer and it is seriously good stuff. I'm serious, it works wonders. It feels very cool and soothing on the skin and with glycerin as an active ingredient, it gives make up a tacky base to stick to, giving it some real lasting power. If you haven't tried this yet then you need to, because the hype is there for a reason. I love it.

Sunday Riley Luna Sleeping Night Oil  - £85 from Cultbeauty

With an eye watering price tag you would expect this stuff to work skin care miracles. Luckily it does. My skin and I have had our ups and downs over the past two years, except there have been way more downs than ups. Since using Luna my skin seems to have turned a corner, *touches wood*, and is looking the best it has in a really long time. Luna is a night-time retinol treatment that fights signs of ageing and visibly reduces the appearance of acne. I've been using it once or twice a week when my skin has been feeling dry and congested and it has made all the difference. It's amazing, and I am so gutted because £85 is a, quite frankly, ridiculous price tag. Oh well.

Jeffree Star - watch his youtube channel here

I'm not gonna weigh in on the controversy surrounding this particular YouTube star. I just like his videos. He does the fiercest make up looks, knows so much about make up and makes me laugh with his hilarious, over the top reactions.

Community - streaming on Netflix

After I finished watching Orange is the New Black I was at a bit of a loss as to what to watch next. I know the entire internet is going crazy for Stranger Things and I will get round to it,  but I wanted something more lighthearted and funny and easily watchable. Community is all of those things. To sum up Community is about Jeff, a lawyer who faked his Bachelors degree and gets caught, so has to go back to college to get his degree. In his first week he meets Britta in his Spanish class and they form a study group. I've been watching it non-stop because it is tears rolling down my face, stomach hurting from laughing so much, funny. If you liked The US Office and Parks and Rec you'll love this. It's ridiculous but brilliant. Plus Troy and Abed are EVERYTHING!

What are your July 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

Nivea Men's Cooling Sensitive Post Shave Balm as a primer...worth the hype?

Nivea Men's Cooling Sensitive Post Shave Balm as a primer...worth the hype?

Sunday, 10 July 2016

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There has been a ton of hype surrounding Nivea Men's Cooling Post Shave Balm. Ever since Nikkie, from Nikkietutorials, brought it to the world's attention, it's become one of the most highly sort after primers on the high street. Even being dubbed 'the world's best primer', by the Daily Mail so let's not get too excited. After testing it out for the past 5 weeks I thought that the time was ripe to throw my 2 pence into the mix. With the hope of answering the question, with all this hype surrounding it, is it really worth it? 

In a word... Yes! It's so worth the hype! This stuff is amazing. It's a light weight, non-greasy, liquid balm that is quickly absorbed into the skin. The balm is alcohol free and enriched with Seaweed and Chamomile to gently calm redness and relieve irritation. It doesn't contain any silicon so it doesn't have that plastic-y, silicon feel to it. In fact it feels really nice on the skin, really cooling and soothing, and it dries down almost instantly to a smooth, matte base that's perfect for make up. It has a very masculine scent to it, like a lot of scented products I can see this being a bit of a love/hate thing. Personally I love the way it smells, it's kind of a generic sexy man scent, but I really like it. For those who don't thought, it doesn't stick around very long once it's been rubbed into the skin.

One of the primary ingredients used is glycerine, an ingredient found in most primers. Glycerine makes the skin tacky, but not sticky, so that any make up applied is going to stick around for a while. Since using it I have seen a noticeable increase in my make up's wear time. It keeps everything in place and looking good for ages. All day and well into the night. I've really enjoyed using this product, the only teeny tiny niggle I have with it is the packaging. It's housed in a rather hefty porcelain bottle, which is really not ideal, for travelling or if you're especially clumsy like me. It also doesn't have a pump which means that wastage is a problem, especially when you end up accidentally  spilling half of it all down yourself and onto the floor. Not that I'm speaking from experience...

Now I've read some rave reviews and I've read some really bad reviews of this product and I just think, like everything, this will work or not work for you depending on your skin type. I have very sensitive, sometimes acne prone skin that errs on the drier side of things, so it works really well for me. But for any oily skinned lads or lasses I can't see this working for you. However if you have skin like me, sensitive or normal to dry,  then it will work really well for you. I'm such a big fan of it, it really does work wonders as a primer. Nivea Men's Cooling Post Shave Balm is only £5.35 for 100ml (a fricking steal) from Boots

Have you tried Nivea Men's Cooling Post Shave Balm as a primer? What did you think? 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

July Favourites

July Favourites

Monday, 11 August 2014

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So I operate at least a week behind the rest of the world which is why it has taken me this long to put together and post my July Favourites. Hey Ho better late than never.

Clarins Thirst Quenching Hydra-Care Serum

I have had this so long that I am not even sure if Clarins sells it anymore (I googled it, they do but it's been reformulated and looks different) I've been using this for the past couple of weeks as my skin has been in need of a bit of extra TLC and man has it delivered. It feels so silky against the skin and it is really hydrating. I'm always a bit wary of serums because my skin is so tricky - super sensitive, combination and blackhead prone - but this is really good. 

The Real Techniques Buffing Brush

I've been going through a bit of a Real Techniques obsession over the last month or so. My absolute favourite of all my make up brushes, both Real Techniques and otherwise, is the Buffing Brush. I have mentioned this brush so many times in the past 5 weeks or so (read about it here, here & here) and that is simply because it is amazing. It's synthetic so it doesn't absorb too much product so stops wastage and buffs it into the skin in seconds. It. Is. Amazing!   

Rimmel Fix & Perfect Pro Primer in 002.

This primer promises to Smooth, Resurface, Brighten, Mattify and Protect the skin and it does exactly that. It also gives my make up some serious staying power. Whilst it's not as amazing as Benefits The Porefessional it is good and costs a fraction of the price. Win. 

MAC Creme Amplified Lipstick in Girl About Town 

OH. MY. GOD. This lipstick. This lipstick. OH. MY. GOD. Girl About Town is one of the great beauty loves of my life. I've talked about this so much in the last month or so I won't bore you with the details (you can read about it here, here & here). It's amazing. 

Balance Me Daily Essentials Moisture Rich Face Cream 

I got this a while back and have been using it on and off for the past few weeks and I really like it. It smells gorgeous, like Turkish Delight and summer time. It is really moisturising and has a lovely non-greasy texture. 

Rimmel London's Match Perfection Concealer in Soft Beige

This concealer covers dark circles and blemishes and makes me look and feel all together more human. I've nearly gone through my first tube but I will definitely be repurchasing. 

Barry M Gelly Hi Shine Nail Paint in Sugar Apple

 The colour is gorgeous and summery and the formula is awesome. I am obsessed. In my vast collection of over 200 nail polishes (I have a problem!) this is my current favourite. In love. 


 Nivea Daily Essentials Refreshing Cleansing Mousse  

I've been using this every night for the past couple of weeks as the first step in my make up routine because it makes taking my make up off so much easier. It's not at all drying on the skin and foams into a mousse which is super fun. 

A non beauty favourite this month is The Lonely Island!

For those who don't know The Lonely Island are a comedy group made up of SNL alums Akiva Schaffer, Jorma Taccone and Andy Samberg (the last of whom I have a massive crush on! What is it about a guy with a sense of humour...)Their songs are both hilarious and really good. My favourite is Yolo feat. Adam Levine because it is so funny but also a really good song, so catchy. The music videos are also worthy of a giggle. Loving them. 

So those were my July Favourites, what did you think? Agree? Disagree? Let me know via twitter @lolarocknroses or comment below. If you do comment I always try to reply so do check back. I'll be back tomorrow with a movie review of Guardians of the Galaxy. Until then if you'd like to read my June Favourites you can do so here and you can check me out on twitter, facebook, BlogLovin, instagram & pinterest. 

Love love love xxx

2 Stars & A Wish #5

2 Stars & A Wish #5

Thursday, 3 July 2014

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You will have noticed that today is in fact Thursday (I’m very good at stating the obvious!) and 2 Stars & A Wish is usually posted on a Wednesday (again, my obvious stating is excellent) Last night I went to my sister’s to get my roots touched up (they were in dire need) and by the time she was finished I was more than ready for bed. But here it is as promised… just a day behind schedule.

My First Star this week is jointly awarded to Lisle Street by Nails Inc & Nail Jewellery in Justice Walk by Nails Inc.

I am a huge fan of Nails Inc. Of my 188 strong nail polish collection, at least 40 of them are Nails Inc. These two have been loitering at the back of my collection, unused and unnoticed, and probably would have remained that way if I hadn't had a super girly night with my friends last Saturday. We decided that it was of the utmost importance for us to paint our nails. And to do that we needed to enlist the help of my vast nail polish collection. After we had marveled - seriously it is quite something to behold-  we got stuck in. Being completely spoilt for choice I made the girls pick for me and these were the colours they chose. 

Nails Inc in Lisle Street is a really, really pretty coral colour. Whilst I’m not a pastels kinda girl I do love a good coral polish and this one is gorgeous. I can’t believe I’ve had it for over a year and I’ve never used it before. Bad Lauren. I feel like I need to explain myself, I don’t just mindlessly buy nail polish I never use. Actually that’s a lie I totally do. But in my defence every couple of months or so Nails Inc has a Lucky Dip Sale which is 7 randomly selected polishes for £20, offering a saving of over £50. It’s a total bargain so obviously I’ve done it a few times. In fact I’m pretty sure it’s how I accrued my sizable collection of Nails Inc Polishes. The only problem is I don’t get to choose and if the colours don’t jump out at me straight away then they tend to get forgotten about. The upside to this is that my nail polish collection is full of hidden gems just waiting to be discovered (downside I’m a crazy nail varnish hoarder.)

Like I said the colour is a really beautiful coral, that manages to make even my ghostly hands look tanned. It also lasts a really long time without chipping. I’m so glad they picked this one out for me otherwise it would have remained forgotten and forlorn at the back of my stash. The only teeny tiny niggle I have with Lisle Street is the slightly watery formula. Usually I have absolutely no qualms with the formula of Nails Inc polishes. Having said that it’s really not a deal breaker it just needs an extra coat to be opaque. Overall I’m really happy with it and I absolutely love it. 

Nails Inc Nail Jewellery in Justice Walk is an Amber coloured glitter. I'm normally not a huge glitter fan (because it is so goshdarn difficult to remove), which is probably why its been overlooked for so long. But the minute I put it on I fell completely in love with it. The colour is so pretty and the formula is amazing. It's thick enough that it only takes a few coats to be opaque but also thin enough that one layer can act as a sparkly top coat. I'm so happy about ths

My Second Star this week goes to Nivea Daily Essentials Double Effect Eye Make-Up Remover 

I bought this because I'd never tried a dual action eye make up remover before and I was curious to see what it was like. I've been using it every night before I go to bed for the past two weeks and I have to say it has really impressed me (you can see in the picture how much I've been using it.) The oil based layer is specially formulated to be tough on make up but gentle on the skin and to remove even the most stubborn of waterproof mascaras. It took on Benefits They're Real mascara, a mascara notorious for it's hard to remove formula, and won. The water based layer soothes and protects the delicate under eye skin and conditions the eyelashes (which has actually made a noticeable difference. Who'd have thunk it?) Despite being partly oil based it doesn't have a greasy texture and doesn't sting the eyes. A couple of weeks ago I mentioned my love for No 7's Beautiful Skin Eye Make Up Remover (read it here) but this one literally blows it out of the water (sorry No7 I still love you). It's amazing. 

My Wish this week goes to Pantene Pro-V Split End Serum for Normal/Thick Hair

Some of you will know my hair is a source of both intense love and intense hate in my life. My mission is to grow my hair to my waist, in the hope that the added length will weigh down my hair causing my curls to go from completely insane to only moderately so. 3 years ago my hair, after years of bleach and straightening abuse, had to be cut to my collar bone. I was absolutely devastated, when straightened my hair was barely medium length. When curly it was a chin length bob at best. I absolutely hated it that length. Short hair, of any kind, does not even remotely suit me. Anyway 3 years later and my hair is oh so slowly inching its way down my back towards my waist, another 2 years and it will (hopefully) reach its target. So where does Pantene Pro V Split End serum come into all this? Well split ends are my mortal enemy. They are the Voldemort to my Harry Potter. If Harry Potter was a gobby red head (Ron Weasley anyone?). I loathe split ends, so I bought this as a preventative measure to see if it would make any difference. Sadly it doesn’t work. I applied the serum to the ends of my hair literally every time I washed my hair for months and it made little to no difference to the state of my split ends. The formula is really thick and weighs down the ends of my hair and made them look greasy which I hate. It does smell really nice but that doesn’t do much good when it doesn’t do what it says it will. Overall I was really disappointed with this. Big thumbs down.

There won't be a Friday I'm in Love this week instead my June Favourites will be taking it's place. I have never done a Favourites post before so I am super excited about it. Friday I'm in Love will be back as normal from next week. 

Until Friday then lovely people check out my twitter, facebook, Bloglovin, instagram & pinterest for your daily Lolarocknroses fix, if you need one that is. 

Love love love xxx

Friday I'm in Love #5

Friday I'm in Love #5

Saturday, 28 June 2014

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Happy Friday! I am so relieved the weekend is here. It’s been a really, really long week but it's all over now. I hope everyone's got a lovely weekend planned. I'm off to the cinema to (finally) see Maleficent on sunday. But before I do that I'm going to share with you my loves for this week. 

Nivea Daily Essentials 2 in 1 Cleanser & Toner

Normally I don't really buy 2in1 products because, in my experience, they are so rarely what they promise to be. Instead of getting the best of both worlds (Hannah Montana reference!) they're usually mediocre at best. This one, however, is amazing! I've been using this every night for the last week and there is a noticeable difference in my skin. My skin is clearer, smoother and softer and  it's all down to this. Not only does it feel absolutely gorgeous on the skin but it also removes all make up in one fell swoop and smells lovely. It has made taking my make up off almost as enjoyable as putting it on. I will definitely be repurchasing.

SkinSystem Antibacterial Hand Lotion from Asda. 

Being the insane (hand specific) germophobe that I am, I was dreading going back to work and exposing my hands to the millions of nasty bacteria residing in my keyboard and on my work phone. I’ve been working summers with the same company for the past two years and every year my hands get absolutely destroyed by the near constant application of hand sanitizer.  Recently I've been seriously lusting after Lanolips antibacterial handcream - I haven't tried it but have heard some seriously good things - but alas! pay day is still a long way off. And then I found this. In Asda. For the extortionate price of... one whole pound. Obviously I snapped it up right away, for  a pound it's got to be at least worth a try. Formulated to nourish and condition the hands whilst killing bacteria, it also contains pro vitamin B5 as an active ingredient which aids the healing processing and skin regeneration. It also feels really nice and soothing on the skin.  Like I said I’m an insane germophobe so of course I’ve still been using copious amounts of hand sani to cope (which does kind of defeat the purpose of an antibac hand cream, I know) but this has more than held it's own and has kept my hands lovely and soft.  I will be trying the Lanolips antibac handcream to see how they compare, but for now I'm really pleased with this.

Rimmel London Apocalips Lip Lacquer in #400 Big Bang

 

I was a bit obsessed with the Apocalips Lip Lacquers when they first came out and as a result have quite the collection (I have 6) but until this morning I hadn't used one in ages. I was in a rush for work and needed a red lip asap so I grabbed for the first one I could find, which just so happened to be this one. From the moment I put it on I could not even begin to fathom why I hadn't used it in so long. It's a lovely, sassy shade of red. It's perfect for summer as it's really bright and glossy. It has a doe foot applicator, like all Apocalips Lip Lacquers, so it is ridiculously easy to apply. The formula itself is really creamy and moisturising and not at all sticky which was really nice. It also lasts quite a long time although I did need to reapply after eating and drinking. Last summer I was never without Apocaliptic, which is my absolute favourite  - and one that I really must repurchase! - however Big Bang is a close second. I really like it.

How to Love by Katie Cotugno

(Picture courtesy of www.goodreads.com)

I don't like to throw the term favourite book around because I love so many books and I don't have a definitive favourite, but How to Love is definitely a contender. I downloaded this onto my Kindle in October last year and in the 8 months since I have read it 4, yes 4, times. I'm now reading it for the fifth time and it does not get old. I love it so much. The writing is excellent and the fact that this is Katie Cotugno's debut novel makes it all the more impressive. How to Love tells the story of Reena and Sawyer. Reena has loved Sawyer all her life but has never even hoped for him to notice her, until the day that he does. Of course they fall madly in love but Sawyer has his demons and one day out of the blue he disappears. Leaving Reena heartbroken and pregnant - before you start hating on Sawyer, whilst his leaving was a dick move he didn't actually know Reena was pregnant when he left. 2 years later and Reena, bitter and miserable for having to abandon her dreams and being deserted by Sawyer, has managed to build a life for herself and her daughter Hannah, that is until Sawyer returns. I won't give away the ending but I will tell you that I sobbed like an overgrown baby for a good 20 minutes after I finished the last page. It is such an emotional rollercoaster and just an amazing book. Definitely A favourite if not THE favourite.

 

I have two SOTW this week the first being Geography by Andy Jordan.

Yes that Andy Jordan with the 'nostrils' from Made in Chelsea. Before you brush this off just hear me out a second. It is actually a really, really good song. I first heard Andy sing on Made in Chelsea and thought that he was undeniably talented - and also one of the nicer people on MIC, just saying! - when I heard that he was releasing an EP, entitled Geography funnily enough, I thought I would give it a try. I am so glad I did. It's just such a nice song. I also strongly recommend On My Own. Love him or hate him - personally I love him - you can't deny that he's talented. 

And now for my second SOTW, which is Before I Ever Met You by Banks. 

Coincidentally I heard this song in the background of the season finale of Made in Chelsea (it's the guiltiest of  guilty pleasures!) and I loved it straight away. I love the moody vocals, and the lyrics are pretty awesome too. I really like it. I've had it on pretty much constantly for the past week and I'm still not tired of it. It's such a good song. 

Right then lovely people I'm going to sleep now because I've had a really long day. I'm sorry I've posted this so late but I just haven't had the time this week to get myself organised. But I hope you've enjoyed it and I would love to hear about the things you've been loving this week. Let me know using the hashtags #FridayIminLove and #FIIL. I'll be back on Monday with another in my Hopeless Romantic series where I will be talking about my favourite book couples. Until then I am all over social media so please check me out on twitter, facebook, BlogLovin, instagram & pinterest for your daily Lolarocknroses fix. 

Love love love xxxx