My New Year's Eve Make Up

My New Year's Eve Make Up

Tuesday, 3 January 2017

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(Sorry for the giant picture of my face and the crap lighting, I also hadn't smudged my lipstick, I had a really nasty spot on my lip that would not be covered!)

Happy New Year you absolute babes! I hope you all had an amazing, and safe, New Year's Eve and are ready to take this new year head on. This years I was at a big family party at my uncle and aunty's house, and I was really overdressed but you have to make an effort at New Years' don't you? I was really happy with my make up so I thought I would share it with you lovely lot.

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

Urban Decay's Alice in Wonderland: Through the Looking Glass Palette Review

Urban Decay's Alice in Wonderland: Through the Looking Glass Palette Review

Saturday, 4 June 2016

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To celebrate the long awaited release of Disney's Alice Through The Looking Glass. Disney have teamed up with the purveyor of cult eyeshadow palettes, Urban Decay, to create one of the most beautiful collections I've ever seen. Now when I saw what was in the collection I was beyond excited. I'm a HUGE fan of Alice in Wonderland, it's one of my favourite childhood books and I was OBSESSED with the first film! So you can imagine how eager I was to get my hands on it. 

The collection is made up of a stunning eyeshadow palette and 5 unusual, but incredibly beautiful lipsticks. The lipsticks were all sold out, annoyingly, but I did manage to get a palette into my basket before they'd all gone. After testing it out for the past couple of weeks I'm finally ready to give my verdict, and, SPOILER ALERT, it is good! 

First of all we need to talk about the packaging, - that packaging though! - because it is the most beautiful packaging I think I've ever seen. Featuring a kaleidoscope pattern, psychedelic roses, quotes from the book and film, and a stunning pop-up butterfly, as well as a good sized mirror, it is very much in keeping with all the whimsical and wonderful weirdness of the film, whilst also being absolutely gorgeous. Like, seriously! It's amazing. 

So now on to the shadows themselves. Urban Decay are known for their awesome eyeshadow palettes, the Naked palette anyone?, and this one is no exception. The palette has 20 shadows, with everything from earthy toned neutrals to bright and bold statement colours, with both matte and shimmery finishes.  Each column is themed around a specific character in the film: Alice, the Mad Hatter, Mirana (the White Queen), Iracebeth (the Red Queen) and Time. Alice's column has three peachy toned neutrals and a sky blue, reminiscent of her iconic blue dress. The Mad Hatter's has an emerald green, a dark, smokey purple, a bright orange and a dark fuchsia. Mirana has four earthy neutrals with a shimmery white, that works perfectly as a highlighter shade. Iracebeth has much brighter tones: a gorgeous icy turquoise, a royal blue, a deep rusty red (one of my faves) and a peachy nude. Time is the darkest column, with a deep, dark navy, a light, purple-y grey glitter, a rich chocolate-y bronze and a gun metal grey. The colours are beautiful and vibrant and the quality of the shadows is insanely good! I would expect nothing less of UD. They're finely milled, buttery-soft, easy to blend and, for such bright colours, surprisingly wearable. I've swatched my favourites below, from left to right they are Kingdom - a shimmery orange-bronze, Salazen Grum - a glittery ruby red, Chronospher - a toasted bronze, Dream On - a glittery lilac and Mirror - a dark silver. 

You can see from the swatches that they apply beautifully, with very little fall out and have excellent colour pay-off. It's amazing! and has quickly become one of my go to eyeshadow palettes. Seriously, I'm so in love with it and strongly recommend picking it up, if you still can, if you love to experiment with bright, bold statement eyeshadow looks. Sadly the collection is completely out of stock everywhere online, but may still be available in store at Urban Decay stockists. Find out more here and here.

Have you tried UD's Alice in Wonderland palette? 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

February & March 2016 Favourites

February & March 2016 Favourites

Tuesday, 29 March 2016

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I'm not gonna do that whole 'OMG where did *insert relevant month here*?!' thing that I do every month. We all know that time goes scarily fast. Even faster as you get older and as we are rapidly approaching my 25th birthday I may start freaking out little.  Sorry that was a bit of a weird tangent, let's just talk about my favourites from the last 2 months shall we?

Primark PS Concealer in Light - £0.80 from Primark

This concealer cost 80 pence and it is freaking amazing. If you've been reading me for a while you'll know how much I love Seventeen's Phwoarr Pain under eye concealer, however I've found that it can be quite waxy and feel heavy on the skin. Primark's PS Concealer is really similar except it comes in stick form. It is just as creamy, covering and long lasting as my Seventeen fave but has a less weighty texture and feels a lot lighter on the skin whilst giving the same level of coverage. I. Love. It.

L'Oreal True Match Foundation in 1C Rose Ivory - £9.99 from Boots

I'd been really reluctant to try the new formulation of L'Oreal's True Match because I am such a huge fan of the original, once I even crowned it my favouritest foundation ever. But after some umming and ahhing I decided to try it,  and then wear it throughout the majority of March. And I have to say I really like it. It's very similar to the original formulation except it feels more comfortable to wear. It still has a lovely satin finish that looks really natural on the skin but gives excellent coverage. I'll be going into more detail in a post next week, so keep your eyes peeled. All I'll say for now is that it's still my favourite high street/drug store foundation, reformulation and all.

Avon Gel Finish Nail Enamel in Moon Dust - £3.50 (on offer, usually £7.00) from Avon

The Avon Gel Finish Nail Enamels are extraordinary! They have such an amazing formulation; they apply really evenly and smoothly. They're creamy, thick yet easy to work with and opaque in only one coat, this includes the really pale shades too. Plus the wear time is amazing, with the gel shine top coat they can last up to two weeks before chipping, without the top coat you can get a good 6 days out of them. Out of all the ones I've bought so far, and it's a lot, Moon Dust is my favourite. It's a springtime appropriate pale grey and it has been gracing my nails pretty much constantly. It is gorgeous. 

Urban Decay Naked Pallet - £38.50 from Urban Decay

I have used this every day since I bought it, which annoys me a little bit because it took me so long to buy it and I love it so much. The colour pay off is amazing, there is very little fall out and the shadows are beautiful. 

Real Techniques Stippling Brush - £7.95 from Amazon

Until recently the Real Techniques Stippling Brush was probably my least used make up brush. But then I started using it to apply foundation and it was a total revelation. It doesn't absorb any product and being quite small it allows me to buff/stipple foundation into the skin really quickly, leaving a flawless airbrushed finish. I really like it, so much so that I bought another one and now have two. 

Urban Decay x Gwen Stefani Blush Pallet - £35.00 from Urban Decay

I picked this up in a recent High End Haul and have used it pretty much everyday since. It's so versatile and the powders are lovely, really finely milled and super pigmented. You really need to use a light touch or risk looking a bit like a clown but other than that it's amazing. 

Eve Snow London Nail Lacquer in Skyler - £14.00 from Eve Snow, currently out of stock

I'd never tried Eve Snow before until I found this in the beauty aisle at T.K. Maxx. Now I have approximately a million blue polishes, but it never hurts to add one more to the collection. That and it only £2.99, which is a massive reduction from it's original £14 price tag. Eve Snow's polishes are formulated with 3 added ingredients to really nourish the nails and are free of several toxic ingredients, including formaldehyde, that are found in other polishes. It applies beautifully, it has a thick brush that does the nail in two strokes, but not in a clumsy way, and the colour is beautiful. It lasts well on the nails and only takes two coats to achieve opacity, which is super impressive with a colour this pale. Plus the bottle is absolutely gorgeous. I will definitely be adding more to my collection.

Avon Ultra Colour Lip Crayon in Raspberry Rush - £5.00 from Avon

Berry lips are my jam! They're my favourite lips to wear all year round, and this spring time appropriate offering from Avon has become a firm favourite (I went a bit mad with an Avon Haul read it here) It's a lovely colour, a rich pink, with a satin finish and a creamy but wearable formula. It's not the most long lasting but it applies nicely. I really like it. 

DW Home Richly Scented Candle in White Rose -  £6.99, Unavailable online but may be available in store at T.K. Maxx

I found this candle in T.K. Maxx for £6.99 and just had to have it. It smells BEAUTIFUL! I'm not usually a fan of rose scene, sometimes they can be a bit grannyish and sickly. This is the complete opposite of that. It's really fresh and floral. It's quite subtle but noticeable. I've been burning it constantly because it smells like springtime. It also burns really evenly, which I find is an important quality in a candle. I love it. 

Finding Neverland Original Cast Recording - £8.99 from iTunes

So you might know this, you might not, but Musicals are pretty much my favouritest thing ever. Have been since I was about 13. If I could sing constantly then I think I would be a significantly happier person. My current musical obsession is the original cast recording of Finding Neverland. It's lovely and features some amazing people: Laura Michelle Kelly, Matthew Morrison & Kelsey Grammar to name but a few. My favourite tracks are All That Matters & Circus of your Mind. If your a musical fan it's definitely worth listening too. 

Jenna Marbles and Jenna & Julien's Podcast

Sometimes I feel like I am super behind the times. Relevancy is kind of everything these days and sometimes I feel like I have my finger right on the pulse and I know EVERYTHING. And then I discover someone like Jenna Marbles, who has been a YouTube sensation for years, and then I realise that I've barely scratched the surface. Like I said Jenna has been around for years but I came across her videos maybe two weeks ago, and already I'm sporting a major girl crush. Firstly because her videos are brilliant and really funny. Secondly because she's very relatable and honest and has the magical rainbow hair of a mermaid/unicorn, which gives me hair goals for days! I've been binge watching her videos and she is awesome. I also really like the podcast she does with her boyfriend Julien Solomita it's really funny and clever.  Love her.

Buzzfeed's The Try Guys

Again The Try Guys have been around forever. I had seen a couple of their videos, my favourite is The Try Guys Try Wedding Dresses, but recently I've really got into their videos and may have watched all 57 in one sitting. They're hilarious and utterly ridiculous and clever and cool and stupid and all that good stuff. I really like them, but Eugene's my fave.

What were you loving throughout February & March? Let me know in the comments 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.

High End Haul

High End Haul

Thursday, 17 March 2016

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Another haul post?! I hear you cry out in barely contained disbelief! The only excuse I have is that lately I've been feeling kinda spendy, way more than usual, which is really bad because I'm trying so hard to save up to go travelling. I was doing okay but then I went online and my bank card took a bit of a walloping. So do you guys wanna see what I got? Silly question OF COURSE YOU DO!

MAC Matte Lipstick in Mehr - £15.50 from MAC

Or what is now known as my new favourite lipstick. Mehr has become a highly sought after Mac classic recently and I can see why. It turns my eyes into hearts because it is glorious! A plummy, tawny pink that is beautiful AND incredibly versatile. It's one of the most neutral shades I own, it's a my lips but better kinda colour, but I've been really feeling neutrals lately and I'm obsessed with Mehr. The formulation is good; creamy with a matte finish that has some serious staying power. It's slightly drying on the lips, nothing a slick oflipbalm  beforehand can't fix, but not at all uncomfortable to wear. Oh I just love it so much!

MAC Lip Pencil in Soar - £12.50 from MAC

Soar might actually be the most sought after lip liner on the market right now, and I really don't think I'm exaggerating when I say that. It's something to do with one of the Jenners. Anyway there has been a HUGE amount of hype surrounding this particular lip pencil. Now I'm not normally a lip liner kinda girl but I can totally see what all the fuss is about. Soar is a rosy, plummy nude that is not too drying on the lips and applies beautifully. It makes an excellent base for any neutral lip but it matches Mehr perfectly, the two have become my go to everyday lip combination. Together they have some serious lasting power and quite honestly they were made for each other.

 Urban Decay Naked Pallet - £38.50 from Urban Decay

I finally, FINALLY, picked up the original Naked Pallet. Over the years I've been making do with some pretty spot on dupes, I'm looking at you W7 In The Buff: Lightly Toasted pallet,  but I've been showing my Naked 2 a lot of love lately and thought it was really about time that the original made it's way into my collection. The shadows are stunning! Buttery soft, easily blendable, well pigmented with no fall out whatsoever. I'm only annoyed it took me so long to buy it, the hype around it is there for a reason. My only teeny tiny bugbear is the fuzzy packaging which, we can all agree, is a bit pants and is going to get dirty, and stay dirty, super quickly.

Gwen Stefani x Urban Decay Blush Pallet - £35.00 from Urban Decay

The beauty blogging community has been going mad for Gwen Stefani's latest collection with Urban Decay and I can totally see why. Obviously it's because Gwen Stefani is a total Icon and Queen of Everything, but also because the entire range is stunning! After spending a ridiculous amount of time on the UD website I knew I had to have this pallet, so into my basket it went. The pallet is made up of 6 shades, with a nice mix of peachy and pink tones, all housed in seriously gorgeous packaging (#thatpackagingthough). It is amazingly versatile with 2 of the shades doubling up as bronzers and 3 of them as highlighters. The shade range is beautiful but the powders themselves are just as lovely; finely milled, smooth, blendable and SUPER pigmented. I can't actually fault them.
Although I will say that this pallet was definitely made with paler skinned peeps in mind, so if you're one of the lucky ones blessed with an olive complexion, or a skin tone darker than pale, then you may want to give this a miss. I, however, am the palest of them all so this pallet really works for me. I've used it so much already.

What have been splurging your pennies on lately? Let me know in the comments 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

January Beauty Favourites 2016

January Beauty Favourites 2016

Sunday, 31 January 2016

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La Roche-Posay Serozinc - £8.50 from boots.com

I recently raved about this in my Mini Skincare Haul (read it here) but I've been using it every single day and I seriously love it. It has made my terrible skin look so much better, it's just bad skin now.  It has become an unmissable step in my skin care routine because it is so so good. It calms down any big, juicy spots, completely gets rid of little ones and gives the overall appearance of clearer skin. LOVE. IT.

Max Factor Gel Shine Lacquer in #35 Lacquered Violet - £7.99 from boots.com

I picked this up at the end of last year and it's been on my nails pretty much ever since. I love purple nails and Lacquered Violet is such a sophisticated and pretty take on that. The colour is absolutely gorgeous, the perfect blend of purple and blue, and it has a fabulous formula with great opacity - one coat! - and a high shine finish. The packaging is really pretty too. It's lovely.

Michael Kors for Esteé Lauder Blush Trio - No longer available.

For a really long time I was too scared to use this because it's so beautiful and I didn't want to hurt it. Then I realised that thought was completely ridiculous and I got over it. It is seriously B-E-A-U-Tiful! The trio is made up of a plum, a bright pink and a light mauve. The blushes are finely milled, buttery soft in texture, blend easily and are well pigmented with a subtle shimmer running through them. They're so pigmented that you need to use a really light hand with them or risk looking like you're permanently embarrassed - a lesson I learnt the hard way - even so they're amazing. Individually they're lovely, but when swirled together with my trusty Real Techniques Blush Brush they create a lovely pink-y mauve that gives the cheeks a really pretty glow. It is gorgeous AND that packaging though! It is seriously dreamy! - Sorry for being a tease guys! This blush was part of a limited edition collection and is no longer available :(

Superdrug Naturally Radiant 2 in 1 Moisturiser & Serum - £5.99 for 100ml from superdrug.com

I've been kind of obsessed with skincare for the past couple of months, hoping to find the miracle product that will give me the  flawless, english rose complexion of Emma Watson or Emilia Clarke.  Alas so far that has not happened but I have found some darn good products, Superdrug's Naturally Radiant 2 in 1 Moisturiser & Serum is one of them. It's a really nourishing serum, with a silky smooth gel like texture that sinks into the skin so quickly. It gives me a much needed burst of hydration and really brightens up my dull, grey skin. I've been using it every night and I really like it, plus it smells amazing! Seriously amazing.

Soap & Glory No Clogs Allowed Super Self-Heating Deep Pore Detox Mask - £11.50 for 100ml from boots.com

I picked this up a couple of weeks ago after reading some rave reviews online and thought it was definitely worth a try with my clogged and congested skin. It is so good. It starts working it's self-heating magic the moment it applies to the skin, really getting into the pores and giving them a proper deep clean. It's been really good for my skin. I like it a lot.

Naked 2 Palette - £38.00 from urbandecay.co.uk

I've been OBSESSED with the Naked 2 palette throughout January. I've had a bit of a thing for matte eyeshadows - I blame Adele and the make up she wore on the 25 album cover - and I've been particularly loving the shades Foxy & Tease. Foxy is a slightly yellow,  creamy nude that I've been packing on all over the lid and Tease is a light, almost lilac-y toned chocolate brown which I've been using in the crease to give my eyes some smokey definition. It's a combination I've been loving all month and wearing pretty much everyday but the rest of the palette is just as heavenly. The shadows are pigmented, blendable, buttery soft and incredibly wearable, with a range of finishes including shimmers, glitters and the odd matte. They apply beautifully and there is no creasing whatsoever with these bad boys. Naked 2 is basically perfect. The obsession is so real people!

Collection Extreme Felt Tip Liner - £2.99 from boots.com

Another product whose presence here can be attributed to Adele. Back in the day I used to wing my eyeliner everyday like it weren't no thing. I could do it in seconds, no mistakes made and be out the door. Oh how I miss those days. Now it's a bit of a different story. Being out of practice and my eyelids having become curiously wrinkly (don't think about it!) I've had to go back to basics to get my eyeliner back on fleek. The Collection Extreme 24Hr Felt Tip Liner is the liner that helped me perfect the wing originally due to it's sturdy nib, long lasting, blacker than black liquid formula and it's general awesomeness. I've been reaching for it on a daily basis to get the practice in and my wings back and I still really, really love it. Maybe even more than Benefit's They're Real Push-Up Liner.

L'Oréal Color Riche Exclusive Collection in Julianne's Perfect Nude - £6.99 from boots.com

Okay it's pretty safe to say that all my make up favourites this month are due to Adele. That was one seriously amazing make up look that's all I can say. But oh man this colour is so dreamy. I'm not normally a fan of nudes (tehehe) but this is the most beautiful pink-y nude lipstick that is so easy to wear but looks like I've put a lot of effort in. It is seriously beautiful.

What were your January Beauty 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 I got for my birthday

What I got for my birthday

Tuesday, 5 May 2015

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Two weeks ago I turned 24 and I got absolutely spoilt. Not that I'm complaining ;) So I thought I would share what I got with you lovely lot. (Side note: I really hope that no one thinks I'm showing off. I just find these posts really interesting)

Pandora Charms

I've had my Pandora bracelet for nearly 3 years now and every Christmas and Birthday I get a new charm to add to the ranks. This year I got two courtesy of my lovely mama, a really beautiful hand held mirror because of my make up obsession, insert all the heart eyed emojis, and a pile of books with an owl in a graduation cap on it because I graduated last year. The reason I love Pandora so much  is because the charms kinda tell a story and everyone has something different. - If anyone would be interested in a post about my Pandora bracelet let me know, all the details are below.

Pandora Pendant

My Mama actually bought me this Pandora pendant just after Christmas and put it away for my birthday (that's how we roll in our family, she starts buying Christmas presents in July) It's really simple and understated but so pretty. I love it. Mama has good taste.   

Forage & Find  Necklace

This beautiful necklace was a gift from my bestest, girl always gets me such lovely presents. She's the greatest gift giver I know - apart from my mama! It's so unique and  pretty.  It's made from the mechanism of an old pocket watch and is absolutely gorgeous. I am obsessed with it.

Michael Kors for Estée Lauder 

OMG! This is just the most beautiful thing ever! My mum picked this up for me at Bicester Village and it's just one of the most beautiful make up collaborations ever. The collection is made up of a blush trio, a lipstick, lipgloss, mascara, eyeliner and a nail polish all wrapped up in a Michael Kors make up bag that I can only describe as heavenly. I'm seriously in love with it! The colours are beautiful, the packaging is to die for and the whole thing is just so beautiful that I almost don't want to use it (I will, obvs!) I'm gonna go into more detail in a future post so keep your eye out for that.

Fila  RunningTrainers

So if you read this post  you'll know that lately I've been going through a bit of a lifestyle overhaul. I mean total overhaul. As someone who is a bit of an exercisephobe - read total and complete coach potatoe - I've had no need for trainers in my day to day life... like at all. But having been spurred on by my change in eating habits and recent weight loss I decided that it was time to add some exercise to the mix and asked my mum for some trainers, causing her to literally emergency stop (on second thought asking her while she was driving was a bad idea) and she got me these, and I love them. They remind me of the Nike Free Runs, they're really comfy and they just look cool. I haven't managed a run yet (baby steps guys, baby steps) but I'll keep you posted. 

NAKED 2 

My very lovely cousins/besties got me the Naked 2 Pallet by Urban Decay because they are the sweetest people in the world! I can't even tell you how excited I was when I opened it. It is so beautiful I couldn't bring myself to use it for about a week because I didn't want to hurt it. I've been lusting after the Naked pallets for longer than I can remember but being a constantly broke student they've never really been a priority and I've made do with dupes instead. But now I have it and I'm so ridiculously happy about it. The Naked 2 is made up of 12 cool toned neutral shadows, with a mixture of shimmers, satins and matte finishes. The shadows are absolute perfection! A bold statement but it's so true. The colours are absolutely beautiful! They have a buttery soft texture with very little fall out, they're ridiculously pigmented and apply like a dream. I'm so in love with it. Insert all the heart eyed emojis!!! 

From my dad and step mum I got money and my sister took me out for a night of dancing and cocktails which only ended when both of us and a friend of ours fell into a taxi and asked the driver to take us to McDonalds, which he didn't!  

I had such a lovely birthday and got absolutely spoilt. Again I really hope no one thinks I'm being an unbearable show off/spoilt brat. What I got for my birthday posts are some of my favourite to read because I am one of the nosiest people in the world and I wanted to share this with my fellow Nosy Rosies out there. 

To my fellow April Babies, Happy Birthday!, what did you get for your birthdays? Let me know on twitter, by commenting below or dropping me an email at lolarocknroses@gmail.com. Also check out my instagram, facebook, bloglovin & pinterest for daily updates. Have yourselves a lovely week and I'll be back on Thursday.

Until then... 

Love love love xxx