The Best Skincare for When You Have a Cold

The Best Skincare for When You Have a Cold

Wednesday, 30 October 2019

Read post

Guys as I write this I’m laid up in bed with a 38°C temperature and the worst cold I’ve ever had, complete with the kind of hacking cough that makes me sound like I’m about to die of consumption on the streets of Victorian London. I know, I'm being overdramatic, but I do feel awful. And what’s really not helping is that I look it too. Both my skin and hair are drier than the desert, my nose and lips are chapped and I have a very pleasant outbreak of spots around my jaw. Sexy thy name is Lauren! Luckily, there is a handful of products that I come back to time after time that are total lifesavers. Here’s my pick of the best skincare for when you’ve got a cold.

In Flight Beauty: My Skin Care Essentials

In Flight Beauty: My Skin Care Essentials

Tuesday, 30 August 2016

Read post

This may seem a little OTT, especially as the flight to Bulgaria isn't long, 3 hours if that. But me and my skin have finally reached a tentative truce, it won't break out in billions of juicy cystic spots and blackheads if I treat it right. So for my very short haul flight I wanted to keep my skin happy, well hydrated and protect it from 3 hours of air conditioning, these are all the odds and ends that helped me do that.

Simple Kind to Skin Micellar Cleansing Wipes - £4.19 (currently on offer for 3 for £5) in Boots

The first thing I like to do on a flight is take all my make up off, especially if it's an evening flight, which ours were, there and back. So I needed something that would take all my make up off without me having to faff about with cotton pads and cleansers. Enter Simple's Kind to Skin Micellar Cleansing Wipes. Now I'm really not a big fan of face wipes, I think you'd be hard pressed to find a beauty blogger who is, but these micellar wipes are a whole different ball game. Simple wipes in general are the only face wipes I tend to use, because they are really good, but the micellar ones are my favourite. Soaked in Simple's micellar water, incidentally my favourite high street micellar water, they're alcohol and oil free and really kind on the skin. They're really gentle but remove make up, including waterproof mascara, absolutely effortlessly and leave the skin feeling clean and fresh. I love these. 

Pixi by Petra Hydrating Milky Mist - £18.00 from Cultbeauty

Pixi's Hydrating Milky Mist is one of my favourite facial sprays and an absolute essential when flying. As the mist is essentially a liquid moisturiser I was mainly using it to inject a bit of moisture back into my skin throughout the flight, effectively giving my skin a double dose of hydration to combat the air conditioning. With an ingredients list that boasts black oat, hyaluronic acid and pro-vitamin a to soothe the skin and encourage it to retain moisture, the fine mist is light and refreshing but provides intense hydration, leaving my skin feeling soothed and nourished. Trust me you need this in your travel bag.

REN Evercalm Global Protection Day Cream -  £28.00 from Ren Skincare

This teeny tiny tube of REN's Evercalm Global Protection Day Cream was an absolute life saver. Formulated specifically for sensitive skin this nifty little moisturiser is quite the multi-tasker. It soothes and calms the skin, protects from irritants and inflammation whilst also moisturising and protecting the skin from free radicals and environmental factors. The light cream is fast absorbing and left my skin feeling nourished and refreshed. I'll definitely be picking up the full size when I run out.

Burt's Bees Refreshing Lip Balm with Pink Grapefruit - £3.69 from Boots

The idea of having to stick my finger into a pot of Carmex becomes really unappealing when I'm on a flight, surrounded by at least 100 other people and their collective germs and bacteria, and the collective germs/bacteria of the hundreds of previous passengers. Luckily Burt and his hive of Bees provide the solution to this problem. Pink Grapefruit is one of my absolute favourite lip balms, because it is super moisturising, smells incredible and comes in a tube so is more hygienic then my beloved pot of Snoopy Carmex.

Garnier Intensive 7 Days Restoring Hand Cream - £2.99 from Superdrug

It's no secret that I have OCD and really struggle with my hands, especially when I'm in situations I'm not exactly comfortable with, like flying for example. When I over do it with washing or hand sanitiser my hands get really dry and sore, this is the only hand cream I've come across that intensely conditions and protects my hands from my hand sanitiser happy ways. It's fast absorbing, so it doesn't leave my mitts feeling greasy, which I absolutely hate, and even lasts after washing. It's fantastic and saves me from myself a little bit.

Tesco Pro Formula Cleansing Hand Wipes and Antibacterial Hand Gel -  both 75p from Tesco

Speaking of my hands there was absolutely no way I was getting on a plane without my trusty anti-bac wipes and a bottle of hand gel. I like to use the wipes as much as I can as they are much gentler on the skin than hand sanitiser. I also like to have them with me so I can give my seat a quick once over before take off, although it has to be said you do get some funny looks. The hand sanitiser is fairly standard, it contains alcohol so is very drying on the skin but it does get rid of any nasties and contains aloe vera extract to help combat some of the dryness.

I also had floss, hairbands, a clip and chewing gum with me, because no one wants unruly hair and bad breath now do they?

What are your in flight essentials? 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

La Roche Posay 50+ Antihelios XL Ultra-Light Fluid Review

La Roche Posay 50+ Antihelios XL Ultra-Light Fluid Review

Tuesday, 14 June 2016

Read post

Now that I'm the wrong side of 25 (Gulp!) I'm super conscious of premature ageing. I've already got a couple of grey hairs going on, and I do not want my skin to look old before it's time, thank you very much. It's so important to protect your skin from the sun, not only to prevent photo-ageing (premature ageing caused by the sun) but, more importantly, to reduce the risk of skin cancer. This is something that never really occurred to me when I was younger. I thought that because I didn't really catch the sun it wouldn't have an impact, WRONG!, and it's something that I've become so much more aware of as I've got older. Being a lighter shade of pale, as well, my skin is very sensitive to the sun and it's damaging effects.

BUT here we reach a catch 22. A lot of sunscreens, even facial sunscreens, can block pores, causing spots and blackheads to form. I suffer with acne, I don't need to give my skin the excuse to breakout, because believe me it will take it. Enter La Roche Posay Anthelios XL 50 + Ultra-Light Fluid. This sunscreen is the bee's knees! Designed specifically for the face, it has a light, non-greasy, fast-absorbing formula that forms an invisible, protective barrier between the skin and the sun, protecting the skin from UVA and UVB rays, and preventing signs of early ageing.  And the best part, it does all this without clogging pores and causing breakouts. Plus it dries down really quickly, leaving a barely there, matte finish, making it a perfect base for make up.

I've been slapping this stuff on to my chops whenever we've had some sunshine and I've noticed that my skin doesn't go red, I haven't been burning across my nose and cheeks AND there have been no breakouts. Yay! It's so good.

Any sunscreen recommendations for me? Let me know by commenting below, on twitter, or dropping me an email at lolarocknroses@gmail.com. Check out my instagram, facebook, bloglovin', snapchat -search lolarocknroses - & pinterest for regular updates.

The Weekly Round Up #4: Hot Cloth Cleansers, The Balm & Nineties Movies

The Weekly Round Up #4: Hot Cloth Cleansers, The Balm & Nineties Movies

Sunday, 27 September 2015

Read post

Hi Guys! I hope everyone's had a good week! I've been doing a load of over time at work, I have a very expensive make up habit to support, so this is the first opportunity I've had to sit down and round up my week. Lets do this! 

No 7 Radiance Boosting Hot Cloth Cleanser - I'm not normally a huge fan of No 7, I mean I have a few bits but nothing I really, really love. That was until I found this hot cloth cleanser at the back of my beauty drawer, where it's been lurking for years,  and I've very quickly become obsessed. It is such a nice cleanser. I've been using it every night and it is so nice. It cleanses the skin so gently but really thoroughly as well and because it's hypo-allergenic even super sensitive skinned lasses like myself can use it. I just massage a pump of the cleanser into my skin, pop a hot cloth onto my face for 5 minutes before removing the excess. It has made my skin feel so soft and nourished and it just feels really luxurious to lie back and relax while it works it's magic. I really like it but, sadly, it looks like Boots don't sell this exact cleanser anymore (I told you I'd had it years) BUT No 7 do have a Beautiful Skin Hot Cloth Cleanser that looks really similar, you can get that here

The Balm Balm Voyage Vol. 2 Pallet - I literally picked this up today, as in like 4 hours ago, and am that excited about it, it just had to feature in this week's weekly round up. The Balm is a brand I've heard of but never tried anything from so when I saw this in the beauty aisle of T.K. Maxx (Side note: beauty lovers definitely check out the beauty aisle in your local T.K. Maxx. I always find such good stuff in mine!) I was intrigued, and after a quick nosy at the inside I knew I had to have it. First of all I LOVE the packaging, it is so cute and fun and vintage looking. I love it. Now I haven't had the chance to play with this properly yet but from just a cursory glance I can tell you that this would be a fabulous pallet for travelling, hmmm... maybe that's why it's called The Balm Voyage pallet, not just because the packaging is super sleek and compact and would travel well but because it has EVERYTHING. It has 2 cheek & lip tints, 2 blushes, a bronzer, a highlighter and 9 eyeshadows, with a nice mix of matte and shimmer shades. I will be doing a proper review soon, so keep an eye out for that, but so far I am very impressed and can see myself getting a LOT of use out of this. Plus it normally retails at £32, a fairly steep price tag I think we can all agree, but I got it for £19.99, bonus! 

*Blog Update: I've since found it cheaper on amazon, you can pick it up by following the above link, don't say I never treat you ;)*

I've been loving really silly comedies from the 90s this week. Like a lot. I was already a huge Wayne's World fan (of both 1 & 2) because hello it is awesome, super quotable and ridiculously funny! Garth is my spirit animal! If I was a guy that is who I would be, well a cross between him and Nick from New Girl. But Chasing Amy was new to me.  I was told to watch it by a friend from work and I loved it. It's part of Kevin Smith's View Askewniverse, so if you like Clerks or Mallrats, anything that features Jay and Silent Bob, you will definitely like Chasing Amy. It's really funny with a few WTF?! moments but it's actually quite sweet as well and is a really good story. I liked it a lot. I watched it twice. I definitely recommend it, both are on netflix and are well worth checking out if you're in the mood for some giggles.

What have you been loving this week? 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 regular updates.

Love love love xxx

*Disclaimer* All images except those of Chasing Amy & Wayne's World are owned by myself. I do not own the images of Chasing Amy & Wayne's World. Images used for entertainment purposes only. Images Via, Via.

2014 Beauty Favourites Part 2: Hair & Skincare

2014 Beauty Favourites Part 2: Hair & Skincare

Monday, 19 January 2015

Read post

Welcome to part 2 of 3 of my 2014 Beauty Favourites. This post, as you can probably tell from the title, is all about the skin and hair care that I was loving in 2014. 

Skin Care:

It's no secret that my skin was not at it's best last year, a lethal combination of stress, the eating habits of a fussy toddler and even worse sleeping habits have really taken it out of my skin. These 5 products have been incredible in my fight for better skin. 

Quick Fix Facials PurifyingCharcoal Mask for Congested & Lifeless Skin

I've been using this mask once a week to decongest my skin and prevent blackheads developing and it's really helped to contain the problem. Containing such spot fighting lovelies as Cinnamon, Charcoal (duh!) and Dragon Fruit it leaves my skin feeling so clean and fresh and it always looks so much better afterwards. 

Nuxe Masque Creme Fraiche deBeaute 24HR Soothing & Hydrating Face Mask

This mask is a gift sent from the Skincare Gods! And my skin just laps it up. I've been using it every week and it has made my dry, scaly skin feel beautifully soft and nourished.

No7 Essential Moisture DayCream 

 I've been using this moisturiser every morning for months and I just love it. It melts into the skin, leaving me with soft, nourished skin and a perfect base for makeup.

Witch Naturally Clear Blemish Stick

This is my go to spot treatment for any particularly big juicy spots. It dries them up like it ain't no thing. I just pop it on the offending blemish at night and by morning it's gone or greatly reduced depending on the size of the spot. Now I'm not gonna lie to you lovely people the Witch Stick is not without it's faults. It is very drying on the skin, which is why it works so well on spots, but it does mean you have to be very precise when applying so you don't dry out your  skin.  Even so it's great for emergency giant spot situations. I'm breaking out at the moment and I'm so gutted I don't have it with me. 

The Body Shop Tea Tree Oil

Another excellent treatment for spotty skin. This tiny bottle is amazing, it lasts forever and the tiniest bit makes all the difference to my badly behaved skin.  Like the Witch Stick, this gets rid of spots like nobody's business, unlike the Witch Stick it's not even remotely drying on the skin. I love it. 

Hair Care:

L - R: Frizz Ease Daily Miracle Leave-in Conditioner, Frizz Ease Extra Strength 6 Effects Serum & Avon Advance Techniques 360 Nourishment Moroccan Argan Oil Leave-in Treatment

My hair is difficult to say the least, when it behaves (which is rare) I love it, when it doesn't I seriously, seriously hate it, like chop it all off and start wearing wigs hate it. These 3 are absolute staples in my frizz fighting arsenal and the reason I currently have longish hair and no wigs.

Frizz Ease Daily Miracle Leave-in Conditioner 

I've used this almost everyday for the past 3 years or so because it's amazing. I spritz it onto soaking wet hair and it makes my hair behave itself. It's a really conditioning, light weight spray that leaves my hair crazy soft and virtually frizz free. For a while I was worried that it would stop working if my hair got too used to it, so I stopped using it and the condition of my hair changed drastically. It was dry, frizzy and completely unmanageable. I started using it again and it improved my hair straight away. It really is a miracle.

Frizz Ease Extra Strength 6 Effects Serum

I dread to think what my hair would look like if I didn't use this serum. Seriously it is that good. I run 2 pumps of serum through freshly washed hair, avoiding the roots,  and it completely tames my hair leaving me with defined, shiny curls. Love it. 

Avon Advance Techniques 360 Nourishment Moroccan Argan Oil Leave-in Treatment

AKA the best and most beautiful argan oil I have ever come across. It's really light weight and just leaves my hair looking and feeling amazing. It calms down frizz, defines curls, protects from the heat and it just does everything. I love it. 

Have you tried any of these products? What did you think? Let me know on twitter, by commenting below or dropping me an email. Also make sure you're following me on instagram, facebook, Bloglovin & pinterest.

It's gonna be a bit quiet on the blog front for the next couple of weeks or so because I have 2 very long uni assignments due in in a very short space of time. But I will try to update you guys as and when I can.  

Until then...

Love love love xxx